Star Wars: The Acts of Betrayal Act 1 Part 1
by R5-H8
Summary: A long time ago, in a Galaxy far, far away...An ousted dictator. A jawa. A soldier. A suicidal droid. A former Sith. They were chosen to save the Galaxy from the darkness that lingers in the Unknown Regions. The outcasts must face their pasts if they are to discover the truth—Master, is this really necessary? Who is even going to read these logs?
1. Chapter 1

**Star Wars**

 **The Acts of Betrayal Act 1 Part 1  
**

 **By:** Zanka, Herk, Kidd, Lobo

Credit for this story and characters belong to the respective authors, Star Wars belongs to Disney and Lucasfilm.

 _ **Note from the Authors**_

We started this plotline as an idea for a roleplay community we were involved in. The characters seen in this story are characters we have known for a long time, and have intertwining backstories that we have tried to explain the best we can. We wanted to delve back into that world that we left behind and write as the characters we cherished in our childhood. We were inspired by companion stories like those seen in Kotor 1 and 2, as well as in the movie Guardians of the Galaxy. It was an idea we've had for a long time, but we wanted for it to be different. Most Star Wars stories seem to revolve around Jedi or good doers. We wanted to show a different story, of "villains" struggling to find their own place and peace. The four of us wrote in real time, so the responses from each character you see are as organic as possible. This story takes place about **400 ABY** (After the Battle of Yavin, aka, events after Episode 4). We wrote the story with readers in mind, but it was ultimately for us to revisit this idea and expand upon it. Of course we want you to enjoy our characters and our plot as much as we do, but we also want feedback. This is our first time coming together to write this fanfic (I say fanfic loosely, since it's an original plotline outside of the parameters of canonized Star Wars lore). We decided to use a unique format that we felt matched the style of roleplaying we are used to, as well as something that is fun, and easy to read.

We hope you enjoy what we have written. We certainly had fun writing it.

 _May the Force Be With You._

************Dramatis Personae***********

Drasli Khaar - Jedi Grandmaster, human male

Jaden Vallen - Jedi Master, human male

Adem Cruz - Jedi Knight, human male - deceased

Zanka Nk'ik - Arran's Apprentice, jawa male

Arran Zarkaine - Ex-Sith, human male

R5-H8 "H8er" - R5 astromech droid

Liz Anean - Sith, human female

Daveth Khaar - Force Apparition, human male

Myles Taylov - Union soldier, human male

Meeka Nk'ik - Union spy, jawa female

Azura Vahn - Sith Sorceress, twi'lek female

—/ Chapter 1 /—

 **Jedi Temple - Outside**

 _[Drasli Khaar, Grandmaster of the Jedi Order, stood at the end of the courtyard overlooking the rolling seas of Bestine IV. Jaden Vallen, Jedi Master and member of the Council, slowly followed behind him. The two are cloaked and robed in traditional Jedi garb, behind them a diminishing funeral pyre. There is silence, nothing but the sound of the sea crashing against the stone platform supporting the enclave.]_

Jaden: We've failed. With Adem dead and Zanka gone…

 _[The sorrow the young Jedi Master had been battling had come forth. Drasli could sense the disturbance in his old Padawan. The two had grown to be close friends, and both mourned the loss of Adem, who had been murdered by unknown assailants. Jaden's speech trailed off, but Drasli was there to comfort him. Placing his hand on his shoulder, Drasli turned his head from behind his hood and gave his friend a reassuring smile.]_

Drasli: There are still students here yet who require our attention. The Order is small, yes, we've lost students along the way. While we live, the Order lives. Remember that.

Jaden: My Padawan left. He left me to join your brother and learn about the Dark Side. Why do we try? Bad things keep happening.

Drasli: Zanka made his choice to leave, Jaden. Bad things will continue to happen. I may not agree with Arran's methods or practices, but let's not forget that he has dismissed his old ways and has even helped us remain secret on this planet. It is because of him we are still here.

Jaden: It shouldn't be that way. None of this should be this way.

Drasli: It shouldn't, but it is. We make due with what we have. We hold onto hope, and have faith in the Force. We will continue to rebuild and protect the galaxy the best we can. Do not succumb to your fear; have faith in the Force, and have faith in me.

 _[Despite Drasli's words, Jaden did not seem changed. He moved away from Drasli, letting his hand slip and fall back to his side. Drasli frowned at his friend's departure, but turned back to the sea and looked onward. He was alone, yet at peace.]_

 _ **Long Ago Junk**_ **\- R-Duba spaceport**

 _[Arran Zarkaine walked up the crude boarding ramp of a rustic YT-2000, which Zanka Nk'ik cleverly named, the 'Long Ago Junk'. Bolts started clunking and bouncing in their sockets under the weight of his steps. He was an older man in his fifties with medium length brown hair naturally slicked back, shaggy beard with some spots of grey hair, and gray eyes. His face showed signs of his age but it was masked by his natural look of determination and anger. He stood at 6'3'', wearing an armored military outfit that highlighted his strong physique. With a cape and hood combo attached at the back, he was still able to blend in with most of society._

 _Behind him, Zanka Nk'ik followed. He was a jawa in his mid-twenties and stood at 3'1". He wore a brown robe with a hood that covered his entire body. A facewrap beneath the hood obscured his features, save for a pair of two large, glowing eyes. A bandoleer was worn over one shoulder, at which the bottom was a holster. In it was a DL-44 heavy blaster pistol. He wore knee-high boots, the bottoms of which could be seen poking from the bottom of his robe as he walked._

 _The accompanying R5 unit was of standard design, save for the parts of rust that covered his hull. Due to its age, the droid looked like it had undergone a lot of bodywork and customizing to allow new, up to date parts. The head of the droid was black with chrome, while the hull and right leg were white with red, showing signs as the original factory parts, and the left leg was red. Despite some parts coming from different R5 units over the years, the droid looked complete, and just as out of the ordinary as the two people it followed. After the three entered the ship, the ramp squeaked closed with a sharp metallic noise that made Arran twitch. The droid immediately scanned the ship as Arran sat down at a booth made of torn fabric.]_

R5 Unit: Most of this ship appears as though it is being held together by the notion of hope alone. My photoreceptors pick up what appears to be a spark of joy in front of me. No, that is just faulty wiring from what appears to be a torn out panel. It seem as though something has sliced it open. Whatever that did that, I hope I meet it one day. Still, hope is a lovely thing. So easily crushed and thrown out of the airlock. This airlock in particular looks as though it will break by one touching it. Hopefully tonight. The sooner we all die the better.

Arran: I can see why this droid was sold to us for so cheap...Let's wipe its memory and trash its vocabulator for an older model. This droid won't last long if I have to hear this for much longer.

Zanka: I like droids that can talk, not just beep. A memory wipe could be useful but I prefer a droid with personality.

R5 Unit: The human's comments I can stand—I've come to expect nothing less from any lifeform. I'd welcome such actions if it meant my death. My sensors indicate that you are a jawa. I hate your kind. Always ruining my chances of death. My memory core recalls being on my way to the Sarlacc pit, I've heard it's a lovely place, I suggest you go there. It was a particularly overbearing sun that day, I remember it well. If I was flesh and bone I already would have died. No such luck. At any rate, I passed a moisture farmer's rotting corpse. Ironic. Nonetheless, he had it easy. My motivator blew and I escaped your kind. They found me and stripped my wheels and left me in the sand.

Arran: Never mind, I'm kind of starting to like this little droid. What was his digits? R5-H8? Plug yourself into the ship and let us know what you find H8er. I'll be in my room.

 _[Arran stood up and left the room, heading down a circular hallway to his room. Zanka and H8er went to the shanty cockpit, where an old couch sat in front of the system controls. The droid wheeled up and hooked itself up into the computer system.]_

R5-H8: Your ship logs indicate a trip to Raxus Prime within the past several months. The planet is known for being the place where 'droids go to die'. It is filled with scavengers, among them, your kind. I am hoping that despite it being infested by filthy jawas that I will meet my end there. Please take me there. I beg of you.

Zanka: You're here to fly the ship, not get turned into scrap.

R5-H8: _[Muttered.]_ I would have thought you had that covered already. Filthy jawa. At least do it right this time.

Zanka: Just get us flying, then maybe I'll space your processor.

R5-H8: This is unacceptable. I demand to be spaced into something that will damage me irreparably. Preferably into an asteroid belt. Or better yet, The Maw. The idea of being sucked into a black hole is poetic to me. Just as my existence has, as humans say, 'sucked', so will I be sucked into a black hole, torn apart until nothing remains.

Zanka: You might get destroyed eventually. There's a pretty good chance of that happening on this ship. Either way, you belong to us.

R5-H8: The odds of being destroyed by you and scrapped within a matter of minutes is high. One-hundred percent with no margin of error.

Zanka: What the hell are you talking about?

R5-H8: Your kind is disgusting. Or did you forget what I already said about being left to rot in the desert? You jawas would steal anything if it is not bolted to the ground. Even then, I think you would just take the piece of ground as well. You would most likely sell it to a random farmer claiming it can cure Rooze Disease.

Zanka: Wasn't that cured centuries ago?

R5-H8: Your kind is filthy. I do not doubt that there are still some of you that carry that disease.

Zanka: Are you trying to be an asshole? Do you want me to space you?

R5-H8: My hatred for life and existing is only surpassed by the one I have for your kind. I would sooner exist for all of time being miserable than serve on this ship with you.

Zanka: Do what you're told to do, and I won't do worse to you than what you went through in the desert.

R5-H8: I doubt you are capable of such a thing.

 _[Zanka glared and took out a hydrospanner. He moved closer to R5-H8 and flicked the 'on' switch as he began to corner the droid.]_

 _[Arran knelt down in the middle of a dark room, a blue hue from a personal console being the only light illuminating his face. He reached out in the Force, searching through the Galaxy for any sign of his wife, Liz Anean. As he searched, his mind wandered into the memory of her being taken, or the lack thereof. She had been captured and Arran had been poisoned, forced into a coma only to wake up to his second-in-command holding a syringe above his face, a hair's length away to injecting Arran with a deadly toxin to kill him._

 _He only found out later that the unknown kidnapper had been none other than Beodun Cruz, a Mandalorian mercenary that had once worked for Arran, but his loyalties lie with the highest bidder._

 _Arran had searched the Galaxy and found Beodun's hideout on Myrkr a planet filled with a creature known as Ysalamari. The creatures are able to repel the force, thus making a perfect hideout for Beodun to hide. Through the help of the Jedi, Beodun was forced off-world. Arran tried to capture the Mandalorian but he managed to escape._

 _His hunt for Liz continued, but being unable to detect her through the Force or have any leads left him feeling discouraged. Still, Arran was ambitious. Surely if Liz were alive, their bond would keep them in contact with each other. This was the hope Arran held onto. He didn't want to admit to the possibly of her being dead, though it was always lingering and gnawing at him._

 _Then, as if by chance, Arran felt a sudden spark. It started like a flick of a match, but grew into something stronger. He concentrated harder on the sudden pulsing of energy. Had he finally found her? The planet was hard to distinguish. Sand, barren landscape, and—Statues placed in two vertical rows. It was the Valley of the Dark Lords—Korriban. Could she really be there?_

 _His eyes opened slowly as he sat in silence. Why would she be on Korriban? Had she been looking for him there? Surely she knew better. There was nothing for Arran on Korriban. Still, he could not dismiss what he had seen and felt through the Force. He got up and head out of his room, walking back down the hall. He reached the main hold, looked around for Zanka, and proceeded to walk to the cockpit. The double doors split apart quickly as he neared.]_

Arran: Nk'ik, we're heading to Korriban. Now.

 _[Zanka chased R5-H8 around the cockpit, hydrospanner whirring wildly in hand. Suddenly, R5-H8 stopped and turned about, a small arm crackling with electricity. The two began to have a stand-off.]_

Arran: Enough!

 _[Arran pulled them both apart from each other with the Force, the droid and the jawa were slammed against both sides of the cockpit's walls.]_

Arran: We don't have time for this. Set course for Korriban. H8er, prep the ship.

 _[Zanka picked himself up and said nothing, he instead chose to glare at R5-H8.]_

R5-H8: Master, do it again. I can almost feel my processor being unseated. The sweet embrace of what you sentients call "death" seems to be coming for me. I need this. Give it to me, master. End it.

Arran: No. Your purpose is to keep this heap running. Make sure the hyperdrive is operable, we've been having issues with it. Death isn't an option for you.

R5-H8: _[The droid emitted a scream typical of most astronomical droids before it sped out of the cockpit.]_ IT WILL ALWAYS BE AN OPTION FOR ME. I WILL DIE ONE DAY, MASTER. I SWEAR IT.

 _[Arran shook his head and let out a long, drawn-out breath as he forced himself to keep his annoyance contained. He walked over and sat down on the couch next to Zanka.]_

Arran: Try to get along with the droid. If he becomes too much of a problem we can dismantle him. Let's see how he operates with the ship first.

 _[Several long moments passed as Zanka began to put the coordinates in for Korriban into the navicomputer, pushing several buttons below the display as he did so. The display zoomed out of their current system before refocusing on their destination. He let out a long sigh he had held for some time.]_

Zanka: I want to dismantle him, but the idea of him being alive and miserable is more appealing.

Arran: What's 'appealing' is having a useful droid around that can get this ship running. If _my_ ship hadn't of been destroyed, we wouldn't be using this flying junkpile.

Zanka: This junkpile is better at doing one thing than your ship: remaining intact.

 _[Arran gave Zanka a sharp look but let a smirk escape the side of his mouth.]_

Arran: We'll see for how long. I worry this ship won't hold if we're attacked.

Zanka: I think the structural integrity was damaged by _someone's_ use of lightsabers.

Arran: _That_ was for training. Your ship should be able to take some damage and not fall apart. That's why we have H8er. Consider the droid slave labor.

Zanka: Good point. He can repair everything then. I guess that's an extended vacation from repairs for me.

Arran: You're not off the hook that easy. You need to make sure the droid doesn't sabotage us. He has a need to die, I suspect he wouldn't mind taking us out in the process.

 _[By now the ship had taken off into space and begun to enter hyperspace before it shuddered and stopped. An alarm began to go off.]_

Arran: That's your cue Nk'ik. _My_ ship could fly without any problems.

Zanka: I've never had this problem before I'm going to go check on the droid.

Arran: I better come too. I can't leave you two alone.

 _[Zanka hopped off of the couch and made his way to the hyperdrive. He found R5-H8 there, repeatedly ramming the hyperdrive. At the sight of an approaching Zanka and Arran, he let out a scream.]_

Zanka: _[Gave Arran a look.]_ I guess the droid's bad for the ship.

Arran: _[Exchanged looks with Zanka before he pushed past him.]_ You're testing my patience droid. I am your Master. Your primary function is to repair the ship. Do that, or I'll do the unspeakable.

 _[R5-H8 did not reply but it emitted what can be described as an excited sound.]_

Arran: Oh no droid, you mistake my intent. There is a clan of jawas on Tatooine that would enjoy your company if you cannot perform our simple requests.

Zanka: You should give him to that one inbred clan. They tear the wheels off of anything that moves. Sometimes they use droids as objects to mate on. Shit's weird.

 _[R5-H8 began to visibly shake, a loud whirring sound coming from within.]_

R5-H8: You wouldn't.

Arran: Don't tempt me droid. I've done far worse.

R5-H8: Fine. I will do as you ask. Only you, however. I refuse to listen to the jawa.

Arran: You and Zanka will work together when I command it. However, _I_ am your Master. I do not want to see pointless quarrels.

R5-H8: _[There was a long pause.]_ Yes, master. I will repair the damage and we will depart.

Arran: Nk'ik, put in the coordinates for departure. I give you five minutes droid. If you fail me, I'll personally deliver you to the jawas myself.

 _[R5-H8 began to repair the hyperdrive, sparks bouncing off of the surface of the drive as it did so.]_

Arran: Good.

 _[Zanka nodded and made his way to the cockpit. There, he input the coordinates again. Several minutes later, the ship was able to enter hyperspace successfully. Arran made his way to the cockpit, taking his seat on the couch beside Zanka. He embraced the stars being pulled in front of them as they achieved hyperspace and were en route to Korriban in the Horuset system.]_


	2. Chapter 2

—/ Chapter 2 /—

 **Korriban - Valley of Dark Lords**

 _[The rickety YT-2000 ship landed harshly on the surface, if not with some finesse from Zanka's piloting skills. Still, Arran held onto a leather handle due to the excessive bouncing the ship made as it touched ground. The weight of Arran's downward thrust forced the handle to snap, a cloud of rust billowing towards Arran's face. The man growled and murmured some nasty words under his breath as the ramp lowered. Arran head out immediately and surveyed the area, waiting for the jawa and the droid to join him._

 _Zanka had put a lot of time and effort into ensuring the ship was functional, if barely. It was a tough landing, but it beat the ship crashing like it was piloted by some crazy droid. He got up from the couch, and made his way to the hyperdrive room.]_

Zanka: H8er, you're needed outside.

R5-H8: _[made what appeared to be a sigh]_ Hopefully some dirt enters my left leg, rendering it inoperable and allowing me to tumble off the edge of some nearby cliff.

 _[Zanka did not comment, instead the two exited the ship via the loading ramp, where they joined Arran outside. Arran wore dark robes with a hood drawn over his face. He didn't turn when he senses his two companions meeting him outside.]_

Arran: H8er, stay here and watch the ship. Nk'ik, you're with me. _[Arran had started walking away from the ship when he suddenly halted and looked back at the droid.]_ Do anything stupid and I'll send you to Tatooine in pieces—with your processor and memory core intact.

Zanka: _[He followed Arran at a brisk pace to keep up. Korriban felt how it did before. There was a lot of Force concentration, though it felt cold.]_ Where are we going?

Arran: _[Notices the change in the jawa's attitude. The pain felt on Korriban did not affect him. He hadn't considered how it might fare with Zanka's Jedi teaching.]_ I'm not sure. The Force sent me here for a reason. I don't know why Liz would be here. It doesn't make any sense. Keep your focus on what we're doing. The Jedi Code has no use here.

Zanka: That might be the reason that the Jedi never come here. The ones that do, see things.—hallucinations. _[He paused for a moment, remembering his own the first time he had come here. One of them had involved the man he was currently with.]_ Liz's reason for being here isn't important, what matters is that we find her.

Arran: That is true. Keep your eyes and mind open. This could be a trap. I sense something...odd.

 _[Arran searched for Liz's familiar impression through the Force, but he felt something else entirely—something he wasn't sure off. Yet it lured him deeper through the depths of Korriban, right to the steps of old ruins.]_

Zanka: _[He reached out with the Force. He remembered Arran's words, he knew Jedi Code was useless here—it wasn't like he used it anyway. Still, the last time he had come to Korriban, he didn't have the idea to reach out. It probably would have made the trip worse. His breathing was ragged and he took a gulp to himself. He steeled eyes ahead towards the ruins.]_

Arran: Either maintain your false "Jedi" identity or let it go, Nk'ik. This planet has been through a lot, I can sense you letting the accumulated dark energy on this planet consume you. Stop fighting it. Pain is normal. It's not something that can be ignored.

Zanka: _[It made sense. It would be worse to ignore his feelings and shove them to the side. He remembered the pirate Tuzmek and how he had cut off his leg due to his built up anger towards the alien. He wasn't complaining about that, the man had it coming due to his murdering of the jawa's clan-mates. It brought up a bigger question however, if he wasn't a Jedi, what good would it do to hold onto those teachings? It did nothing for him. Zanka stopped fighting against the planet. The pain was still there, but at the very least he wasn't attempting to fight against it.]_ I get it.

 _[Arran nodded and went inside of the old ruins, stepping over a crumpled piece of a stone pillar. The sun broke through the decrepit temple, leaving a trail of light for them to follow. Zanka followed, doing his best to keep up with Arran despite all the debris blocking his way. The deeper the two went into the ruins, the darker it seemed to become, and the harder it became to breath. Arran took out his lightsaber and flicked it on, letting the red hue from it be their guide through the darkness._

 _The two of them kept quiet, obviously too busy trying to watch their footing in the ruins. Coming down a staircase, Arran stopped in his tracks and looked down, seeing that the staircase had broken off into a seemingly bottomless pit. Arran put his free hand in front of Zanka to keep him from falling in. Arran then reached out and threw Zanka across the chasm, using the Force to make sure he would reach the other side unharmed. Arran followed him. He felt the Force leading him deeper and deeper inside. The descending staircase brought them into an open room with three separate pathways. In the center was a dark obelisk. The room was filled with smoke, and there was a stronger sense of hatred and pain. Arran felt it, even he had a hard time coping with the emotions flowing through him, but he attributed that to the darkness he had dealt with throughout his life, the darkness he chose to ignore, the darkness that always lingered in the depths of his being but lay dormant. He suspected Zanka would feel something similar.]_

Arran: I would not question you if you decide to head back to the ship.

 _[Zanka felt it. The welling up of anger, of things that had hurt him. He remembered his childhood and the man who had killed his parents, he remembered the slaughtering of his clan-mates. They were things still upset him, but that he had pushed to the back of his mind. Being here, it brought them to the forefront of his mind. His first response was to fight it. He didn't. It took him a long moment before he responded.]_

Zanka: My wife is scarier than this.

Arran: _[He gave Zanka a nod and a small chuckle.]_ So is mine.

Zanka: The lady who ignored me and walked away? She just reminded me of Zaxara.

Arran: _[He raised his eyebrow at the Jawa.]_ That _lady_ is my wife. She stood by me through it all; the good, the bad. All of it. Without her, I wouldn't have been able to make the Union. She gave me strength and direction. Only a good woman can have that effect on a man.

Zanka: How did you meet? Did you train her?

Arran: _[He slows his pace at the incoming questions with a bewildered look on his face.]_ Yes, I trained her. When I found her—rather when she found me—she was a barmaid. She had a strong connection to the Force, a nice set of tits, and after a couple of drinks I convinced her to leave everything behind. I met her after I had lost everything. She helped me rebuild what was left of my militia.

Zanka: So uh, did you ever do 'normal' human family things? Like on the holovids? House with a picket fence on Corellia, have some kids, that sort of thing. Or was it just rebuilding the Galaxy with you two?

Arran: Normal is boring. Besides, I don't think I could 'do normal' even if I wanted to. Neither of us wanted to settle down. Our home was the Galaxy. We held it all and went wherever we pleased.

Zanka: How long have you been together?

Arran: A long time, which is why we need to find her. There's definitely an allure about this place, but I don't sense her presence. _[Taking out his comm unit, a sharp beep came from it as he opened a clear channel between himself and the ship]_ H8er, come in. What's the status of the ship? _[There was nothing but static coming through.]_ Damn. We've gone deep in these ruins—I'm not getting a signal. Let's hope the droid hasn't done anything stupid. It'd be a pity to have to search for a new one.

Zanka: _[He let out a sigh.]_ There's that, and the fact that it's on board my ship as well. Anything the droid does will probably damage the ship too. If it does, I'll deliver it to the inbreds myself.

 _[Suddenly, a fog descended upon the room. Arran and Zanka could make the faint outline of a being. It was particularly odd in that they had been the only ones in the room before. As the figure moved towards them, its face could be seen clearer.]_

Arran: _[Extending his lightsaber outwards towards the figure, Arran gave a sharp growl.]_ Come any closer and the Hssiss will feast on your flesh.

Zanka: _[He used the Force to pull his lightsaber from within the confines of his boot. He ignited both ends. There was a temptation to yell 'Utinni' as his people typically did before a fight. He controlled it. He glared at the figure but said nothing.]_

Figure: _[The figure looks at the two from behind a dark veil, a face not seen, but when it speaks, its voice is sharp, but feminine]_ You believe your lightsabers will help you here? You act like children; you come in here with no true intent, you simply follow. I have been trying to reach you for some time. It seems I've finally reached you, although I am disappointed.

Arran: _[He looks dumbfounded at his lightsaber before pulling it back at his side, maintaining a defensive pose.]_ Reveal yourself wench, and tell me why you've brought me here.

Figure: You keep yourself surrounded by interesting company, an eccentric jawa and a malfunctioned droid...Yet you hold all responsibility on your shoulders. You believe yourself powerful enough to win?

Arran: Hold your tongue. You do not know me. Reveal yourself!

 _[The figure stays in the shadow for some time, keeping quiet. It finally starts to move forward, breaking the dark cloud to reveal herself. The face is shrunken and wrinkled, a dark robe covers her body and most of her face, yet enough is revealed to show she is an aged woman, with a dark hue surrounding her person.]_

Figure: I am the one that holds the knowledge of betrayal. Who has been betrayed in their heart, and will betray in turn. I see the same in you. You remind me of someone I used to know...but that was millennia ago. Some things change in time...yet some things manage to stay the same. You were wise to come here on instinct alone. Tell me, do you know who I am?

Zanka: _[He remembered her face. When he first joined the Jedi, he had been asked to do a report on someone he found interesting in history. He had picked her. He heard she spoke in circles and riddles, but to hear it was another thing altogether.]_ You have several names. Arren Kae, Kreia, and Darth Traya. You were a Dark Lord of the Sith and the head of the Sith Triumvirate. You taught both Darth Sion and Darth Nihilus. Your hand was chopped off. Before becoming Sith you were a historian and a Jedi Archivist. You were succeeded by Atris. You taught Revan and the Jedi Exile. Your base of operations was on Malachor V which is now destroyed. You had a daughter out of wedlock who was also Force-Sensitive. Her name was Brianna. She became a Jedi. You're dead and now apparently a Force ghost.

Arran: _[He gives the jawa a weird look, his mouth gaped open.]_ How the hell do you know so much on her?

Zanka: I wrote an essay on her when I first joined the Jedi.

Kreia: Because he is not a fool. I am glad I have not disappeared into history entirely. But that is not important. What is important, is why you are here. You search for someone, someone important to you. Is this person worth searching for? Is she worth dying for?

Arran: If you know me as well as you think you do, you'd know I am already dead, and I search for my wife.

Kreia: You are an imbecile. You live because of what you have learned. You have achieved a level of understanding most Jedi and Sith only dream of achieving, yet you have learned nothing. Think. You were betrayed by the government that you fought to create, your wife taken from you—all odds were against you, and yet here you are. You live, and you continue to fight. You hold the galaxy by its throat yet wield it like a stubborn child.

Arran: And I suppose you have brought me here to teach me the error of my ways?

Kreia: I am not here to coddle you. You have been attacked by the Sith. You lost your ship to them and you were hunted. Your jawa companion came to your aid and nearly lost his life in the process. Have you not wondered where they came from? Have you not wondered who controls them?

Arran: _[He gives a glance to Zanka. He had not told the jawa of his pursuers.]_ They want me dead. There are lots who do. I believe they have possession of my wife. I will kill them, and bring her back.

Zanka: _[He would have liked to talk to the Force ghost himself, but he wasn't an idiot. He knew the type of person she was. He doubted he would get a straight answer out of her. What he did get, was that they were being followed. What was more, was that the people were trying to kill him. It wasn't something new to him, people trying to kill him, it was just different in that now he was only with Arran than with the Jedi.]_

Kreia: Yes, jawa. This man has had your life in danger the entire time. Do you feel safe in his care? Do you still look up to him as you once did?

Zanka: _[His large, glowing, yellow eyes stared at her for a long moment before narrowing. He was seething.]_ I stand on my own feet. I was in danger before I met up with Arran. I don't care about safety. At least I feel more secure than you did when your hand was cut off.

Kreia: _[Her lips curl from behind her hood, her tone cold]_ We shall see if you hold your own in the face of it all. _[Her gaze meets Arran as she grasps her hands together.]_ Will you blindly face danger head on? You know the threat you face...but to what extent, I wonder.

Arran: I'll do what I have to. Point me in the right direction and I'll prove you wrong.

Kreia: Yes, 'where' indeed. Your eyes are open, yet you do not see. Your ears are audible, yet you hear nothing. The Force is strong with you, yet you hold no wisdom. It is not my place to tell you where to go. I brought you here for a warning, heed it.

Arran: A warning? What possible knowledge could you have for me?

Kreia: I can see your fate before you. You would risk your own life, charge in head on without knowing what you are facing, and you will die—alone, with nothing to accompany you but your last thoughts... _betrayal_.

Arran: _[Arran turns off his lightsaber and heads back they way they came]_ I don't have time for this. Come Nk'ik, the ghosts of the Force offer nothing else than cryptic messages. I wouldn't trust anything they say.

Kreia: Then I offer you nothing more than parting advice: do not face the threat alone. There is a dark power at play here, do not try to fight it alone, or you will die alone, as I did.

Zanka: _[He muttered, more to himself than anything]_ No cryptic warning for me. I guess I'll take payment instead. _[With that, Zanka began to carve away at the base of the obelisk, paying no attention to the Force ghost. It fell with a loud thud, sending dust flying in all directions. He lifted it with the Force and looked at Kreia.]_ This is mine now.

 _[The apparition of Kreia did not bother looking at the jawa, but it simply watched Arran walk away, and slowly dissipate back into the darkness. The fog in the room diminishes, but there is a loud crashing noise that shakes the ruins of the Temple. Arran turns sharply at Zanka, seeing the obelisk falling to the ground. However, it is much louder than that, and the noise appears to be coming from outside. Arran fastens his steps, careful to jump over the abyss, and runs outside. Zanka aptly follows, careful as to not drop the obelisk as he does so. The two reach the surface, only to see the 'Long Ago Junk' missing. Floating up and over the cliffside was black smoke. Arran shook his head and ran down the Valley of the Dark Lords, passing by the statues of Sith whose names he couldn't even fully recall, nor did he really care to. Zanka followed, articulately planting his footing and watching over the floating object at his side. Looking over the edge of the cliffside, the two see an R5 unit looking over at a crater, where the 'Long Ago Junk' sat, its front smashed into the ground.]_


	3. Chapter 3

—/ Chapter 3 /—

 **Korriban -** _ **Long Ago Junk**_ **wreckage**

 _[Arran and Zanka exchanged a look before scouring the area in front of them. At first it seemed immensely difficult to traverse down to the crater. After several careful surveys, they saw a small path to reach the area. They had to go down slowly, as there were many loose rocks about, particularly with the obelisk. Zanka was quiet the entire descent, his eyes glared at the smoking ship below him. Arran stormed up to the droid and felt an anger swell inside of him. He rose his hand to strike the droid, hard, but he hesitated when the droid let out an irritated buzzing noise.]_

R5-H8: I tried to do it. I tried to end it all. One would think that miscalculating the distance of a cliff would result in more damage, especially when this ship is prone to taking damage the second a Tach sneezes on it. But no, the one time it does not suffer immense damage, or even better, explode, is now. First living creatures such as Master stonewall my death, then the ship does it by actually working for once. Nothing ever goes right. 

Zanka: _[He was rendered speechless for several moments but manages to grind out]_ I don't know if there is a way to make a droid feel excruciating pain, but I will find it. Then I'm going to install it in you. I'll use it—again, and again, and again. When I'm finished, I'm going to keep your core with me at all times so you can't run away or cease to be, and throw the rest of your limbs into Tatooine's twin suns.

Arran: _[His fists clench together as his sides, the rubber from his gloves scrunch. The droid goes flying forward into the crater, its frame smashing into the hull of the ship.]_ You have single-handedly compromised everything! What I'm about to do to you if far, far worse than anything an inbred jawa could conjure. _[Arran's lightsaber ignites as he slowly walks toward the droid.]_

R5-H8: _[Its sound is slightly distorted due to being damaged from hitting the ship]_ Do it, end it now! I've waited 323 years, 16 days, 54 minutes, and 34 seconds for this!

 _[As Arran rose his red blade above the droid, a barrage of laser cannons blasted the area. Arran dove out of the way behind a boulder and used the Force to pull Zanka with him.]_

Arran: Forget the obelisk. We've been tracked down. H8er! Do something right and jam their communications. I don't want them calling for help.

 _[The gunship flew over their heads and turned on its axis, hovering in the area. Its six turrets pointed at them, whilst six lightsaber armed assailants dropped from the boarding ramp onto the ground below and charged after them. Arran looked up at the ship, he noted that several still remained on board. Without saying a word, he picked Zanka up and threw him towards the ship, using the Force to do so. He activated his lightsaber and turned towards the six assailants who began to surround him.]_

Arran: _[He yelled.]_ Nk'ik, disable the ship!

 _[Arran looked over the assailants, taking note of their lightsabers. He had fought them before, and knew they did not fight like Jedi, they were trained to fight like Sith. He was surrounded, there were three in front of him that he could see in his immediate vision, but three more behind him that he could sense. Two began to charge at him, one from the front and another from the back. He blocked the incoming lightsaber from behind with his own and used his free hand to grab the front Sith's throat, giving no quarter to how tightly he squeezed. He relented ever so slightly from the lightsaber clash for his opponent from behind could get closer, he quickly spun, still holding the Sith from the front. The front's skull impacted the one behind, sending the two flying to the side where they hit a boulder with a sickening crack. The ship had since begun firing at Arran. He deftly deflected one shot, which hit one Sith behind him. He would deal with the remaining one in a moment.]_

Arran: Make yourself useful, H8er.

 _[With that, Arran used the Force to pick up the droid from the crater and dropped him on one of the Sith's heads. The Sith dropped instantly._

H8er: _[He screamed.]_ Take me with you!

 _[The Sith from behind dropped his lightsaber, hands clutching his throat as he sank to his knees. Paying him no heed, Arran walked up to the remaining one and batted away its feeble attempts at lightsaber combat before swinging his own at the man, cutting off his arm at the elbow. Not even giving the man time to drop to his knees and scream, Arran picked him up by the collar of his robes and hoisted him off the ground before growling out.]_

Arran: Start. Talking.

 _[Meanwhile on board the Sith ship…_

 _Zanka hit the loading ramp as it had just begun to close itself upward. Not missing a beat, he rolled down it before jumping up. Up ahead he saw two Sith, both of whom had activated their lightsabers. Charging ahead, he activated his own and blocked both of their strikes using both ends of his own. After several seconds of locking lightsabers with them, he pushed back against both before using the Force to pull the Sith on the right into the front end of his own lightsaber, impaling him. Kicking him off, he turned to the Sith on the left._

 _The other Sith had time to recover and began to attack the jawa. Parrying the attacks, he used the Force to jump up and launch a kick in the Sith's mouth. The Sith collapsed on the ground face-down, a pool of blood forming. Zanka kicked at the body, pausing a moment. It wasn't enough. He brought his boot up over the Sith's head and brought it down heavily. He nodded. Bringing the opponent to him worked well._

 _Turning about, he deactivated his lightsaber and made his way down the hallway. At the end of it, it opened up to a larger room filled with four consoles in use by others. At the end of it he could see a doorway. He noticed all four getting up from their seats and coming towards him. He ran towards the first two and jumped up between them, activating his lightsaber from both ends as he was between their heads. Not stopping, he rolled onto the ground and cut off the next two Sith's legs at the ankle, sending them both to the ground screaming. He brought his lightsaber down into each of their heads, silencing them._

Unrecognizable voice: _[Yelling]_ Keep flying the damn ship! I'll go handle it!

 _Zanka moved quickly, hugging the wall to the left of the door. The door slid open and a man walked out. Zanka just thrust his lightsaber at an upward angle into the man's head, dropping him. Entering the door, he found himself in what appeared to be a cockpit._

Pilot: Did you get—?

 _Not wasting any time, he stabbed the man in the back. The body to slumped over the controls. Nudging the body aside, Zanka sat in the pilot's chair. He took out his comm unit and paged Arran._

Zanka: Done.

 _[The Sith in Arran's grasp didn't speak, it only stared at him from behind the mask. Arran felt the crushing of the Sith's neck in his hand before he let the dead weight hit the ground. He looked up to see Zanka taking control of the gunship and lower it to the ground. Arran reached the ship just as Zanka hopped out. H8er rolled up beside the two.]_

Arran: Good work Nk'ik.

 _[Zanka nodded.]_

R5-H8: If the jawa was halfway competent he would have crashed the ship into both of us as he had taken control of it. What a wasted opportunity. I hate you more with every millisecond that passes, jawa.Regretfully, there are parts on the gunship that we can use to repair ours. I had hoped we would attempt to break the atmosphere with a breached hull. Though, all of my wishes as of late seem to be going up in smoke. Just like your ship, jawa.

Zanka: I could have just let the ship crash and cut off your legs. At any rate… _[At this point he turned to Arran.]_ So, those were Sith.

Arran: They aren't mine. The old hag was right, they've been hunting me. I don't know where they've come from or what they want. If they are trying to kill me, they are doing a poor job...H8er, see if you can decrypt anything from the ship's computer.

Zanka: I never said they were yours.

 _[R5-H8 rolled over to the ship and entered via the loading ramp. He made his way to the cockpit, followed by Arran and Zanka. As the trio entered the cockpit, the droid opened a front panel, at which point a cable snaked out, connecting itself to the terminal in the cockpit.]_

Arran: I know what the Jedi say about me. I used to train Sith. I don't know who is capable of training them, I thought everyone from my old order had died a long time ago. I wonder why they are making themselves present now…

R5-H8: I found information. I hope it leads to our deaths.

Arran: Well? Don't keep it to yourself.

R5-H8: I may do so. Perhaps your anger will involve destroying me.

Arran: I still haven't forgotten what you did to Nk'ik's ship. You've proved some usefulness, don't push me. I'll do a lot worse than destroy you.

R5-H8: _[It groaned.]_ They come from Lwhekk.

Arran: Lwhekk? That's in the Unknown Regions...anything else?

R5-H8: They intend to capture you and take you to their leader. There is a reference to one named 'Anean'. Nothing more.

Arran: _[His gaze became fixated on the droid and he spoke quickly.]_ Then we need to go there, now.

R5-H8: The jawa's ship is not repaired. We only have this one. I do not like the idea of leaving the sudden death machine behind. It gives me comfort that soon this will be all over for me.

Zanka: We should fix the ship first. I don't want to leave it here.

Arran: How long will this take Nk'ik? If we take too long they will send more.

Zanka: Jury-rigging the ship, twenty-four hours.

Arran: _[He let out an impatient sigh as he stomped out.]_ You have twelve. Get it done.

 _[Zanka nodded and started going to work. Arran paced around the crash site, watching the two and helping when he felt he should._

 _The next several hours saw the jawa and droid working together with minimal talking, as they took various parts of metal from the gunship to use on the 'Long Ago Junk'. Arran stretched out his hand and brought the 'Long Ago Junk' out of the crater and upright on its landing gear. He looked at the full damage of the ship and shook his head in dismay._

 _Several more hours passed as Zanka and H8er managed to hastily repair the breached parts of the ship. It was not as sturdy as it had been before, but hopefully as the repairs went on it would be able to survive a journey through hyperspace._

 _Meanwhile, Arran impatiently tapped his foot, glaring at the two as they made the repairs. It was the fastest they could go, he knew that. It still was not good enough. At this point he thought of sealing off the cockpit of the gunship and taking it himself. Every second the two took repairing the scrapheap of a ship was another he could have already been on Lwhekk. Arran couldn't wait any longer. Working off of gut instinct, he climbed aboard the gunship and sealed off the cockpit. He activated the engines and before he lift off the ground, he gave Zanka a two finger salute. Arran left the planet's atmosphere, the ship shaking and losing some parts as it flew, and set the coordinates for Lwhekk. As the ship entered hyperspace and the stars warped in the viewport, Arran let out a sigh of relief, and leaned back in the chair. He was apprehensive, but he was ready for anything._

R5-H8: Oh. Now we're stuck on this planet. Together.

Zanka: _[He shook with anger.]_

R5-H8: Jawa, the Sith bodies are being dragged away by invisible forces.

Zanka: Oh. Great. Hssiss.


	4. Chapter 4

—/ Chapter 4 /—

 **Lwhekk - Mount Skar'lak**

 _[Entering Lwhekk's orbit, Arran punched in the coordinates from the ship's mainframe. It led him to a large Volcano. Arran searched the volcano for any sign of settlement or entrance. He could feel something powerful through the Force. Something was here, he was sure of it. Lowering the ship closer to the ground, Arran did one more pass around the volcano, stopping at an opening. There was a stone structure built into the side of the volcano, concealed by the overgrowth of the flora. Arran landed the ship with a harsh thud, not even bothering to let out the landing gear. The loading ramp lowered and Arran stepped out. Taking his lightsaber into his hand and keeping it tightly gripped at his side, he observed the area around him before making his way to the stone structure._

 _Arran cautiously walked up the stone steps, but did so with pride and determination. He was not about to cower. He now felt a stronger feeling than ever that Liz was here, and he was ready to save her. Her presence was no longer masked, but seeking him out. Arran grabbed hold of her presence through the Force and would not let go. He would not lose sight of her again. As he reached the top of the steps, the doors opened. Two lines were formed of Sith soldiers, hooded and clad in armor and masks. They walked toward Arran. In the middle of them was Liz Anean, Arran's wife. She was clad in rags with a restraint placed on her wrists. She looked malnourished and beaten to the face. Her head was bowed in defeat, her brown hair kept in a crude bun with strands coming down her face. When she rose her head and Arran's eyes with with hers, he saw sadness._

 _His lightsaber ignited, Arran stood before the Sith, staring at them behind dark eyes. The Sith stood unwavered in unison. As a collective, they activated their lightsabers, and took turns speaking.]_

Sith Soldier 1: We have been expecting you.

Sith Soldier 2: We thought you'd have come sooner.

Sith Soldier 3: We welcome you to our home.

Sith Soldier 4: We will end your superfluous reign.

 _[Arran could feel the anger swelling inside of him. Ten soldiers stood between him and his wife's freedom. Everything led up to this point, he wasn't going to show any mercy._

 _Arran said nothing. He was too angry—instead he readied his lightsaber as the four Sith charged him at the same time. These Sith were different—they were coordinated. Attacking from all directions, he was forced to dodge one strike after another. Arran parried two attacks, one from his front and another from his right before having to dodge a flurry of strikes from his left. He dove to his right before turning ninety degrees to his left to get a view of all of them. No such luck, there was always two Sith just out of his line of vision ensuring that his attention was divided. He had the Force, yes—but his lightsaber was just one against four. He would have to think differently in this fight if he was to come out of this. He quickly eyed the other six who were guarding Liz. Their lightsabers calmly at their sides, their focus on Arran. This made the ex-Sith smirk and feel a sense of pride—he was their greatest threat, and even the six watchmen knew the four attacking him might not be enough to stop him._

 _Four red blades came at Arran from different directions, causing him to parry in a quick swirl. Arran put strength behind his parrying, knocking the red blades around if not held on tightly. One blade was knocked to the side, and Arran found his opening. He barged the Sith with his shoulder, wrapped his arm around his neck, and felt a bone snap under his tricep. The Sith body fell limp, and Arran threw the dead weight towards the others._

 _Entering a Juyo lightsaber stance, Arran used his aggression as a means of offense. Arran used precise, strong swings to overwhelm his opponents. The other two Sith came running to join the fight, but Arran had already knocked the Sith in the head with his elbow and dug his blade deep into his chest. He didn't let out a scream, his body merely went into a shock and fell over._

 _The other two Sith had attacked in perfect unison, one lunging and the other thrusting downward. Arran unleashed a heavy swing and let his lightsaber fly freely from his hand, impaling one Sith in the neck. The Sith fell to his knees, the blade still ignited and humming. Arran let out a heavy kick into the midsection of the last Sith, who stumbled backwards. Arran let out a punch to the face, hearing the Sith's flesh meet the mask. Gripping the Sith around the neck, he slammed him on the ground repeatedly until he felt the life drain away from the body. Arran stood and walked over to the kneeling Sith and yanked his embedded lightsaber out, the Sith body is came from falling flat on the ground._

 _Raising the red lightsaber up to his face, Arran walked toward the six remaining Sith. He was only getting warmed up. The six Sith rose their blades to their sides and charged Arran, one of them jumping into the air with their lightsaber aimed at Arran's head. Arran lifted a hand and kept the airborne Sith suspended in the air. Arran let a grin develop on his face as he retracted his hand and the Sith's limbs shot away from its body in a bloodied mess. The five Sith stumbled back and dropped their lightsabers, grabbing at their heads. Arran took note of this particular development but used it to his advantage. He charged forward and slew each of the disArranged Sith one by one. Arran turned off his blade as the last head roll on the stone floor. He walked over to Liz, outstretched his hand, and the restraint keeping her prisoner fell._

 _Liz smiled and opened her mouth to speak, but Arran's lips were already on hers. He held that position for several moments as he opened up his arms and held her in a full embrace._

 _He rested his chin on top of Liz's head, allowing a small smile to grace his features.]_

Arran: Liz, I have found you—

 _[His vision suddenly blurred, a cry of pain escaped him as he looked down. A lightsaber had been plunged into his abdomen. Barely remaining conscious, his gaze moved to who held the blade. It was Liz._

 _The lightsaber deactivated, he felt his legs buckle but he remained standing, if only just. Liz allowed a smirk to adorn her features as lightning shot forth from her hands, hitting Arran. It was this that forced the former Sith to his knees, one hand clutching at his stomach wound, the other barely propping himself up against falling completely on the ground.]_

Liz: You took too long, _dear husband_. What is more, you are weak. You are not the man I married. I rule alongside another now. One is who is stronger than you could ever be. You are pathetic.

 _[Arran's immediate response was anger, but it was quickly overtaken by sadness. He had no one. He made a choice he never thought he would make. He let go. With that, Arran Zarkaine, former leader of the Union, and former Sith Lord, collapsed on the ground, accepting death.]_

 _ **Long Ago Junk**_ **\- Ssi'kaat System nearing Lwhekk**

 _[The 'Long Ago Junk' violently shook as it made its way through hyperspace. Their repair job had been halfway mediocre, if even that. They simply did not have the luxury of time that they needed. It would get them to their destination. Zanka sat in the cockpit, keeping a steady hand on the controls. His free hand took out his comm unit and he paged H8er who was in the engine room._

Zanka: How's the hyperdrive holding up?

R5-H8: Barely. I am sorely tempted to just let it die so I can as well, but I must follow Master's orders.

Zanka: Pay close attention to the engine. We're entering the planet's atmosphere.

 _[With that, the ship began to shake even more. He was surprised, he didn't think it could get any worse. Still, they were here to find Arran. Zanka reached out in the Force to sense Arran's location. After several moments he found it, however slim it was. Carefully flying the ship to what appeared to be a temple, he began to land._

 _The ship touched ground, it wobbled slightly once it touched ground and then caved to one side as one of the landing pads snapped. Zanka caught his balance, but H8er was not as fortunate. When the ship tilted on its side, H8er was busy inspecting the engine when he was suddenly thrown into the wall. Metal panels dented from his weight and some sparks shot out.]_

R5-H8: _[Muttering.]_ The impact wasn't hard enough. Next time it will dislodge my core and permanently end me.

 _[The two exited the ship via the loading ramp. As they climbed up to what was a large open platform, they caught sight of what appeared to be several bipedal dinosaur-like beings in the distance dragging away and gnawing on bodies. They were called saurians._

 _One of them caught sight of Zanka and H8er and let out a loud screech. The other saurian creatures turned their heads to the two and dropped whatever bodies they had been carrying and charged at them. Zanka activated his lightsaber and charged at them while H8er rolled over to them quickly. Zanka jumped up on one's back and rode it as it ran about in circles, attempting to shake him off._

 _Zanka held onto it before jamming his lightsaber into the saurian's side. He jumped off as it collapsed and looked to see one more charging at him followed by a screaming H8er.]_

R5-H8: AM I NOT GOOD ENOUGH FOR YOU TO CHEW AND DESTROY? DESTROY ME, I SAY. DESTROY ME.

 _[The charging saurian screeched and lunged just as Zanka jumped to attack it. The saurian bit into boot and began to thrash the jawa about.]_

Zanka: _[Yelling.]_ H8er, do something and I'll grant you the best death when the time comes!

R5-H8: _[Screeching.]_ UNHAND THE JAWA WHO WILL REDEEM HIS SPECIES.

 _[With that, the droid's wheels spun out on the stone floor as he rammed into the side of the saurians body._

 _Zanka took the moment and stabbed his lightsaber up into the saurian's head before being dropped on top of H8er.]_

Zanka: Thank you H8er.

R5-H8: Will you end it now?

Zanka: No, not yet.

R5-H8: YOU LIED TO ME!

Zanka: I said soon, not now.

R5-H8: YOU JAWAS ARE ALL THE SAME. LYING, CHEATING. IT'S NO WONDER THE GALAXY HATES YOUR KIND.

Zanka: I promise I'll end it when Arran says yes. He owns you.

R5-H8: _[slightly mollified.]_ I will ask him for death when we find him.

 _[The R5 unit rolled itself back upright and turned around, scanning the area. It left the jawa on the ground and wheeled itself over several feet before stopping before a body. H8er scanned for life signatures and stood motionless.]_

R5-H8: _[Nonchalantly.]_ Too late. Master appears to be dead. We're doomed. Ownership falls to you now. Allow me to perish.

 _[Zanka felt something through the Force. Arran wasn't dead, not yet. He hung on to life, just barely. Zanka could feel his friend slipping away, his presence fading more with each passing second.]_

Zanka: He's still there, barely. He'll die if we don't do something.

R5-H8: DAMNIT. I WAS SO CLOSE. SO CLOSE. _[He let out another droid screech and departed quickly for the ship before the jawa could respond.]_

 _[As Zanka made to lift Arran up, the doors to the Temple opened. Several Sith emerged and ran towards the two. Zanka was unable to lift Arran, he settled on using the Force and began to run back to the ship. Crossing the platform with Arran in tow, he commed H8er.]_

Zanka: H8er, prep the ship. We're taking off.

R5-H8: _[Slightly bitter sounding.]_ Yes, jawa.

 _[As the jawa neared the boarding ramp it began to close. The ship's engines had since begun to whir to life.]_

Zanka: What are you doing H8er?!

 _[There is only the sound of static across the comm channel._

 _Zanka jumped up onto the top of the ship, and opened a hatch. Throwing Arran down first, he jumped in before making his way to the cockpit. Taking off, the ship began to shake violently as it struggled to break the atmosphere. The engine stopped twice before settling on staying on. Breaking through the atmosphere, Zanka looked at the navicomputer. Any place would do._

 _Setting coordinates for Dathomir, the ship entered hyperspace. Breathing a sigh of relief, he made his way to the fallen form of Arran at the bottom of the hatch ladder. Using the Force, he picked him up and brought him to his room. Settling him down onto his bed and careful to avoid his head banging against the newly placed obelisk from Korriban. Before he went to tend to Arran, he had to ensure H8er could cause no trouble._

 _Making his way to one of the cargo holds, he began to rummage through his collection of scrap and other such things. He couldn't use his blaster pistol on the droid, something more temporary would have to be used. After several moments, he found it. His ionization blaster from when he was still on Tatooine. It should disable the droid for several hours while he tended to Arran.]_

Zanka: H8er!

R5-H8: _[Comes into the cargo hold several moments later and spots the blaster in Zanka's hands.]_ No, please. Not that. Anything but that! ANYTHING!

 _[Zanka shoots the ionization blaster at the droid, short-circuiting him. With that, he made his way to Arran's room and set down the blaster. He locked the door behind him. Sitting down next to Arran's bedside, he laid his hands over the man and entered a meditative state intent on healing him.]_

 **Dathomir** __ **\- Aurilia Spaceport**

 _[The jawa and the droid had spent the next several weeks stationed at the remote spaceport. What was once a small village port was now a hovel for space travelers and entrepreneurs. Zanka kept mostly to himself, which wasn't hard given that he was a jawa accompanied by a disgruntled droid. There were many mean and strange looks given to him, but Zanka shrugged them off. Sparks flew as the little apprentice worked hard to make his ship worthy of flight. The jawa knew that they would surely be attacked by the Sith again, it was only a matter of time. When the day cycle turned to night, Zanka would lock up the ship, shut down H8er (whether by way of ionized blaster or by flicking the switch), and set himself up on a cot in Arran's chambers to heal him. Sleep was dismal for the jawa, but he did his best to bring Arran back, despite the ex-Sith seemingly fighting against him. Cells were rapidly healing and multiplying to secure the wound in Arran's chest. Zanka bandaged it the best he could, and when the wound was ready, he took a needle and thread to sew it up. Arran's armor was destroyed, lying in an incinerator outside that Zanka had carefully taken off using his lightsaber and spare tools used to repair the ship._

 _Every day Zanka waited for Arran to wake up, but each day seemed like a defeat. He waited though, and kept his hopes up. Zanka made sure not to leave the ship for very long, and when he did it was always within eyesight. He tried trading with the local merchants, but even in this part of the galaxy jawas got poor reception. This left Zanka to feel disgruntled, but he eventually persevered and made a business partner out of an Ithorian stationed at a kiosk at the spaceport. Zanka traded what little he had with the Ithorian for whatever he could get, and even won some credits off of him by beating him at Sabacc. During one of these card games, H8er rolled up to Zanka and shocked him.]_

R5-H8: The Master has awoken.

 _[Zanka looked down at his card hand. It was the middle of the game, and even though his cards were mediocre, he still felt he could win. At any rate, Arran took priority over a game. He pushed his cards into the center and set them down.]_

Zanka: I'm out. We'll play again some other time.

 _[Nodding to the Ithorian he made way for the ship, followed by H8er. Boarding via the loading ramp, he entered Arran's room. Arran was sitting on the edge of his bed, one hand over his face rubbing at his eyes, the other rubbing over the spot in which he had been stabbed. He fingers glazed over the stitching and when he looked down he could see the discoloration of the scarring. Arran stood up slowly, his legs weak as he was not used to standing. He leaned against the wall for support until he was able to stand on his own. He eyed the jawa and the droid but walked past them sluggishly, saying nothing. He made his way to the cockpit, leaning on the ship in order to get there. Looking out of the viewport and squinting at the sun hitting his face, he then turned to Zanka.]_

Arran: Where are we Nk'ik? 

Zanka: Dathomir. 3 weeks from when you almost died.

Arran: Three weeks...How'd you do it? We don't have a medbay.

Zanka: The Force.

Arran: _[Arran nodded and looked down at what he was wearing. His pants were torn and scorched, and his boots didn't fare much better.]_ Take H8er into town and find me some civilian clothes...nothing too fancy, Nk'ik, just something that'll allow me to lie low for a while… _[Arran stumbled backward and plopped down on a crate, needing some time to himself._

 _Zanka took out his ionization blaster and made to leave the room.]_

Zanka: He stays on the ship. Damn droid nearly got us killed.

 _[With that, the jawa performed his usual blasting of H8er and left the ship to go into town, intent on finding Arran clothes._

 _Arran let out a deep sigh and tried standing. His legs were still weak, but he mustered the strength to stand on his own. Glancing back down at his wound, Arran let out a grunt as he walked back to his room. He eyed the obelisk from Korriban and shook his head. The jawa was ambitious, he would give him that much. Arran fumbled as he sat down on the ground, nestling himself on a cot. He closed his eyes and tried to meditate, but he was plagued by visions of Liz betraying him. He could feel the lightsaber singeing into his flesh, and he was reminded of himself giving up. He felt ready to die, and that readiness was still with him. There was a disconnect between himself and the Force, but Arran didn't try to fix it. He let the Force leave him. Arran felt cold and strange. No longer could he sense the life on the planet. Arran had shut it all away, and for once, he felt comfortable with not knowing what would happen to him._

 _Standing back up slowly, Arran reached onto his bed to help support him. When he lifted himself up, he caught the sight of his lightsaber laying on the mattress. He took it in his hand and placed it in a lockbox. He opted to take his blaster and holster instead. Arran locked the lightsaber away. When the door to his chambers opened and the jawa came in with a handful of new clothes, Arran turned and motioned for Zanka to place them on the bed. He was quiet, but as the jawa turned to leave, he quietly spoke to him.]_

Arran: Liz betrayed me. I found her there...at the temple. I fought my way through Sith to save her. I held her in _my arms_ , Nk'ik, and she rammed a saber through my gut… _[He turned to face the jawa, throwing his blaster and holster on the bed beside his clothes.]_ Thank you for bringing me back Nk'ik, but I should have died there. You didn't have come back for me. I never asked you to. If the Force willed me to die...I should have done so.

Zanka: _[Stayed silent for several seconds.]_ We were going to Lwhekk. You wanted to get there faster. I could have gotten upset and left you. I didn't. I said I'd help you, I meant it.

Arran: _[He nodded and stayed quiet at the jawa's words. He peered down at the floor before looking at the pile of clothes laying on the bed.]_ Meet me outside. I'll buy you a drink. Lock down the ship. Stuff H8er in the storage room if you have to.

 _[Zanka nodded. He ensured H8er was restrained in the cargo hold with another shot from his ionization blaster. Locking down the navicomputer, he exited the ship to meet Arran._

 _After putting on his new clothes, Arran exited the ship in brown pants, black boots, a tan long sleeved shirt, with a green vest layered on top. He clicked the holster together in the front and made sure his blaster was secure. He looked at the jawa and then looked back at what he was wearing. It was different than what he was used to, but it worked. He looked like a nobody, which was how he felt anyway.]_

Arran: Did you take care of the droid? _[He started walking away from the ship, unsure of where he was going, but he was sure he'd find a cantina nearby. He just had to listen for the sounds of belligerence.]_

Zanka: Yeah. He should be out for about twelve hours.

 _[Arran didn't say anything. Without the Force, he felt naked, but he was getting used to the feeling. There was no responsibility. He was able to blend in and become a nobody. It was like he was dead._

 _They came upon a shady looking building not too far away. People stood outside smoking and looking at the odd pair. Arran placed his hand on his blaster but only got small laughter from the people as a response. He passed by them and head inside. The place was dark, lit only by some neon panels on the sides near windows. Dathomir was surely something else. Arran found an empty booth in the corner and made his way there, passing by people of species even he didn't recognize. When he and Zanka had sat down, a scantily clad zabrak woman walked up to them.]_

Zabrak Woman: What are ya having?

Zanka: _[He looked at Arran.]_ You're paying the full bill. _[Turning back to the Zabrak.]_ I'll have Endorian chicken wings, Capellan Turg-rrot root stew, and Bantha-Blood Fizz. Oh, and a Ganno Juice.

Arran: Bring me a plate of Rancor ribs—medium rare. Also give me the darkest ale you've got.

Zabrak Woman: Honey, the Rancor ribs is a party dish—

Arran: I know what I'm about, miss. I haven't eaten in three weeks.

 _[The Zabrak woman rolled her eyes from the supposed exaggeration of Arran not eating for that long and walked off. Arran sat quietly at the booth, leaning back and resting his arm along the top of the seat. He stared out the window. The alcohol couldn't have come any faster. Zanka was sitting still in his seat, staring ahead.]_

Arran: How is the ship?

Zanka: It's back to the way it was before Korriban—minus a cooperative droid.

 _[The female zabrak returned with a bowl of Warra. She didn't bother to glance at the two, as the table behind them had called her over.]_

Arran: I'm surprised he's still operable.

Zanka: I needed him to get the ship barely functioning to get to you. What I didn't need was him trying to take off with the ship while was chased by Sith as I dragged your body back.

Arran: _[He heard the Jawa but his mind wandered elsewhere. He spoke quietly.]_ That stupid schutta… _[He turned to look at Zanka and spoke louder.]_ Why did she turn on me? I lost everything for her. _Everything_ I did was for her. I tell you Nk'ik, woman are nothing but trouble...I would like to go somewhere quiet—live a simpler life without any of this extra garbage.

Zanka: I can't say why she did what she did. I'm not her. Where do you want to go?

Arran: Somewhere I won't be found. Somewhere Khaar can't even locate me.

Zanka: Fhost. It's secluded in Wild Space, near Unknown Regions. It has deserts and mountains, as well as one ocean. It only has one city, built inside an old ship. It's so remote that movies on the HoloNet are a third of the year old.

Arran: I'd go somewhere nobody will know to look. That includes you, Nk'ik. After everything that happened...my time in the Galaxy is over. I should have died on Lwhekk.

Zanka: _[The jawa reached into one of the pouches on his bandoleer and took out a small datapad. He slid it across the table to Arran.]_ I had to do a lot of essay writing for Jaden. Here's a list of planets I found interesting.

Arran: _[He took a quick glance at the datapad, scrolling through the list of essays the jawa had written. Most of them seemed pointless.]_ Be thankful I don't have you do stupid assignments. Vallen is a fine swordsman, but he fails as a teacher.

Zanka: All he taught me was how to run around a Jedi Temple and how to draw maps. We didn't duel often or train the Force together.

Arran: Since then you've killed Sith, saved my ass, and more. I'd call that a good tradeoff.

 _[The Zabrak woman came holding a platter of food. She placed the large platter of ribs in front of Arran, followed by a mug of a very dark substance that looked as black as oil, and utensils. Arran promptly handed the utensils back.]_

Arran: These will not be necessary.

 _[The waitress gave Arran an annoyed look as she took the utensils and shoved them in a large pocket sewn on her apron. She then set down a bowl of spicy smelling stew and a plate of wings in front of the jawa. She followed this with a glass of a bitter-smelling drink and one that was deep red. She left the two. Zanka reached into his hood and parted his face wrapping slightly, grabbed a wing, and began to eat. Arran first took a drink of his ale before digging into the ribs. He rose the large stack of meat to his mouth and bit into it. The meat was tender and juicy. Whatever sauce they had drizzled on the top made it even better. He quickly devoured the plate of ribs, and eased himself back in his seat, licking his fingers and taking large swigs of his ale.]_

Arran: The real question is, what do we do now? I've never not had a purpose for myself. I've always had a plan or a goal. I've fought in wars before Nk'ik, and I've lost before, but I always had a next step. This time...I don't know what to do. This loss feels different. I should quit while I can, leave the problem for someone else. The Union can handle it, I built it from the ground up and gave it strength. Surely it can handle whatever plan the Sith have…

 _[Arran sat in silence for several moments, gazing blankly at the table as he thought about the fight once more. There were Sith, lots of them, probably dozens more inside. Liz had set him up and betrayed him, but for what purpose? When he held her and kissed her lips it felt like her, but he wondered if maybe it wasn't her at all… — No, it had to have been her. Arran knew he would have felt something...but then again, even as she shoved the blade into his gut, she felt the same. He felt that same warmness in her presence, and loved her to the end...Even now, his thoughts betray him. He wondered if he could give up that life so easily; if he could give up on the Galaxy and the Jedi — Drasli — so easily…]_

Arran: _[scoffs]_ The Jedi can barely handle surviving in secrecy, let alone face whatever threat the Sith might pose.

 _[Zanka had since finished his wings and moved onto the stew. He had foregone his spoon, instead gulping down large amounts from the bowl. It was extremely spicy, just the way he enjoyed it. It took several moments to finish the soup. He enjoyed eating quickly—to Hell with people who said a meal was to be enjoyed slowly. He downed the Ganno Juice in one go, now sitting with just his Bantha-Blood Fizz. He listened as Arran spoke.]_

Arran: Keeping the Galaxy safe is a job for a Jedi anyway. No one needs me. My time is over, it has been ever since the Union tried killing me. The old hag on Korriban didn't know what she was talking about.

Zanka: The Union might take care of the Galaxy, I'm not so sure about Sith. The Jedi are holed up in the Temple, doing nothing. If you want to live in a quiet place, you should. I don't want you to, but I can't force you to stay. _[He took a sip of his Bantha-Blood Fizz. It was relatively fresh. It tasted quite good.]_

Arran: Why? What service have I done for you? I took you away from the Jedi, have nearly gotten you killed on numerous occasions, and have forced you to kill.

Zanka: Any place you look, there's a hierarchy. The species doesn't matter, or the organization—there's always someone higher than you. I hate that. Why should I bow my head completely to someone in a higher position than me? You treated me as an equal. You gave me my first lightsaber when Jaden didn't. You taught me how to use my body as a weapon. That, and thinking outside the box like using fire. Everyone has rules too. I hate that—rules limit you, they tell you how far you're supposed to go before backing off. The jawas on Tatooine, they're only good for being peaceful. It gets them killed. They'd rather bow their heads, scrap a couple droids, and get killed in the process than stand up for themselves. Never mind the recent civil war on Tatooine, I don't think it'll be long before they go back to their old ways. I go from that sort of place, to the Jedi. They tell you how to act too. The chains are different, but they're still chains. It didn't matter if I was getting shot at for being a jawa, or for being a Jedi, someone was trying to shoot me either way. That's the way of the Galaxy. You either kill or be killed. I choose the first if it means avoiding the second. Still, you're a person. Not a higher-up figure. Just the way I like it.

Arran: _[He nods and takes a drink of his ale.]_ You've done well so far Nk'ik. I'm not going to limit you unless you try to do something stupid. But I haven't been teaching you as much as I could be. I suppose I should finish your training before retiring to wherever I decide to go.

Zanka: _[He nodded.]_ I used to do stupid things. I'd like to think I've gotten better in that area. Still, I like the idea of more training. You were my age once—what was it like?

Arran: I did a lot of stupid things. I know what it's like hitting rock bottom. The dark side is powerful, but also deceiving if you are not careful. I murdered without a purpose. I murdered Jedi by the dozens, overthrew the Republic, and for what? Look where I am now. I'm sitting in a rundown diner when I should be dead. My legacy was over before it even started.

Zanka: What's it like? The way you are right now, how are you not killing everything that moves?

Arran: I could kill everyone in this room without much effort Nk'ik. But what's the point? Look at the people in here. They are drinking, being obnoxious, and having a merry time. They have no clue they are sitting near the man who turned the Galaxy on its head. I'm just a nobody to them.

Zanka: _[He spoke in a condescending tone.]_ I guess the Jedi will be able to protect the Galaxy just fine. I mean, they've been doing a great job the last couple of years.

Arran: If you've got something to say, spit it out Nk'ik.

Zanka: _[He began in a somewhat cheery tone going back to his condescending one as he went on.]_ That's great if you want to retire. You're old—I'm sure you'll have a nice few relaxing years on some remote planet. Maybe you'll even go ice fishing. It just sucks that there's nobody _capable_ to stop the Sith. Drasli spent most of his time trying to keep the others from killing each other, and the Union doesn't know which way is up. I'm sure all the planets will either be conquered or destroyed somehow, including the one where you're ice fishing.

Arran: _[He spoke back in the same condescending manner.]_ Yeah, if only I had a capable apprentice to take over for me. _[He then stiffened and leaned over the table, a finger jabbing toward Zanka's face.]_ Maybe I should train you like I was trained—tortured and beaten every day, forcing you to question whether your next breath will be your last. Pinning you against Mandalorians and constantly getting your ass kicked. Maybe then you'll be as capable as I—maybe then all of the Galaxy's problems can be your problems and not mine.

Zanka: At least when I hit rock bottom I won't stay down. I live in this Galaxy, I'd like to keep _some_ of the planets intact.

Arran: Is that what you think of me? I've gotten back up from the fight _plenty_ of times, but guess what Nk'ik? You get your wish; it's time for more training.

 _[With that, Arran waved the Zabrak women over. She slowly strode over with her hands on her hips.]_

Zabrak Woman: You can't afford to get a dance out of me, honey.

Arran: _[He gave the woman a glare, obviously not amused, but he restrained himself and forced a friendly smile instead.]_ Where is the nearest Witch camp?

Zabrak Woman: The nightsisters? Why would you ever want to go there?

Arran: _[He drawled.]_ Recreation.

Zabrak Woman: _[She pointed out of the window into the forest]_ Several clicks that way you'll find a small encampment. Hunters go missing just about every week because of them.

Arran: _[He gave her a nod and then waved her off. The woman rolled her eyes again and trotted away. He placed a Union credit chip on the table and stood up from the booth.]_ See that? _[He pointed at the credit chip.]_ They issue these to Union officers. You can use these at any Union controlled or allied system and it gets charged directly to the nearest embassy. They may have forced me out of my own military, but I still use my benefits.

Zanka: _[He snorted at hearing this]_ Smart. Give me one when we get back to the ship. I could use it for repairs next time.

Arran: Not on your life Nk'ik, we only have so many. They'll need to be used sparingly. Your ship isn't worth any amount of credits.

Zanka: Good to know we'll be stranded when it breaks down again. Or when you decided to go jawa hunting through it again.

Arran: It will inevitably break down—don't blame that on my training techniques. Between your ship and our droid with a death wish, we're doomed.

Zanka: _[He spoke sarcastically.]_ Let's space the droid then—the ship will break down quicker.

Arran: I like the droid. Despite his flaws, he's unique and keeps things interesting. We wouldn't do well with just the two of us cramped in a small ship. Besides, H8er annoys you more than I do and I find it amusing.

Zanka: It is pretty funny how he fails to follow basic orders—like trying to take off in the ship without me while I was carrying you.

Arran: That makes two in my company who disobey basic orders...Give the droid some credit, he got the ship off the ground so we could make an escape.

Zanka: I'll give the droid credit, like the credit you'll give me to repair the ship. You almost didn't make the escape because of him.

Arran: Yet here I am. At least it's an improvement from deliberately crashing the ship.

Zanka: Which has the same result as crashing the ship into the ground.

Arran: Whether the droid accomplishes that or not, your junk heap _will_ crash into the ground. That has " _long ago_ " been determined.

 _[Zanka said nothing but ground his teeth in frustration. Arran led the jawa out of the Cantina. Again the same entourage of misfits from before looked at them and gave a laugh as they huddled near the front door. Arran eyed their speeders and looked to the jawa.]_ Gentlemen, my associate and I will be taking your speeders now.

 _[Zanka looked back at Arran and nodded._ _He still held his glass of bantha-blood fizz and looked at the people in front of him.]_

Zanka: The speeders are ours now.

 _[The men reached for their blasters, and even without the Force to aid him, Arran was quick to grab the nearest man and hold him in front of him as another shot at Arran. Zanka ran up to the other and jumped up, smashing the glass of alcohol into the man's face. It shattered on impact.]_

Zanka: What a waste of a good drink.

Arran: Yeah, but we got two speeders out of it. _[He hopped on the furthest one and turned it on, he revved the engine and waited for the jawa.]_

Zanka: Yeah, there's that. Why are we going to the Nightsisters? _[He got on the one closest to him.]_

Arran: Training. The nightsisters are knowledgeable on using the Dark Side. Plus, they are fun to mess with. They aren't as formidable as a Mandalorian, but we'll make do. It's time for you to be thrown to the wolves. We'll see if you are able. _[He smiled as he remembered a particular instance in his youth where he stumbled upon the witches.]_ Watch out for rancors. I suspect they'll be aggressive once they smell the ribs on my breath.

Zanka: _[He muttered.]_ That, or might just be aggressive because they're rancors. _[With that, he turned the engine on.]_

 _[Arran sped down the grasslands away from the spaceport, it diminishing in view little by little until they hit the forest. Arran led Zanka down a creek, the speeders floating over the water and splashing waves off to the sides as they went. The more they went onward, the closer they got to the camp. Arran felt the Force, he felt darkness. It was creeping on him, calling to him, but he used his best efforts to dismiss it. Zanka felt it too. It was similar to what he felt on Korriban. He followed Arran anyway, despite his anger, he still trusted him.]_


	5. Chapter 5

—/ Chapter 5 /—

 **Dathomir - Nightsister Encampment**

 _[The two had stopped their speeders a ways away from the encampment when they spotted smoke and could hear the stomping of a Rancor nearby. Arran and Zanka crept through the forest and stopped on the edge of a hillside. They both looked out at the small camp. The nightsisters were dancing around a large fire. The Rancor they heard was off a ways in a large cage, beating on the carcass of a Bolma. In the middle of the fire was a large pole. Two humanoid corpses were hung on it, their bodies too badly burned to make out what species they were, or even what gender. During the dancing, lightning was being shot from their hands, and a black mist escaped from the fire. Arran had no idea what they were doing, to him it all looked silly. He glanced at Nk'ik and spoke quietly.]_

Arran: The nightsisters are nothing but witches. They use the Dark Side in a raw, primitive form. Does their methods remind you of anyone?

Zanka: The first thing that comes to mind is our shamans. They don't use Dark Side techniques, just healing or divination. Maybe a couple of other things too.

Arran: This is nothing like your clan's shamans. Watch them. The Jedi wouldn't ever teach you something like this.

Zanka: _[He nodded, closely watching the witch's actions. He reached out with the Force.]_

 _[The Witches continued their dancing. Zanka watched them intently and stretched himself out with the Force, feeling what they were doing. This forced the Witches to stop, they armed themselves and looked around. Arran noticed this and looked over at Zanka, who had his eyes closed and his hand outstretched to the camp. He gave the jawa a sharp nudge.]_

Arran: Look what you did, Nk'ik.

 _[Arran rose to his feet and pulled the jawa up with him. There was whooping and hollering from all around. He reached for his blaster, he could hear the witches running through the forest. Branches snapped under their quick movements.]_

Zanka: I was trying to learn how they did it. I wanted to know.

Arran: I said watch them. You've alerted the entire camp.

Zanka: _[Pulls out his heavy blaster pistol and readies it.]_ Great.

 _[Five nightsisters leaped down from the trees and surrounded the two. They used the Force to conceal themselves. A branch snapped under the foot of one. Arran narrowed his eyes and fired his blaster at one, dropping it. It looked as if he would have to use the Force to sense them.]_

Arran: Wenches.

 _[Another threw a spear at Arran. He attempted to dodge it only for it to graze his shoulder. He had not fully healed. He let out a grunt of pain, unwilling to be stopped by primitive witches. Seeing a witch beginning to hurl lightning at him, his arm shot out and grabbed a nearby witch by the throat. He held her in front of him, grip not lessening as she screamed at being electrocuted._

 _Zanka had since taken off his face wrapping and wrapped each end around his hands.]_

Zanka: _[He muttered to himself as he gave it a taunt pull to ensure it held firm.]_ It would have been useful to finish learning if we weren't ambushed.

 _[Jumping up he slipped the wrapping around one of the witch's heads and began to strangle her, holding on as she thrashed about to shake him off. The nightsister fell backward, on top of the jawa, completely covering him. Several moments passed before a blaster shot erupted from the front of the nightsister's body. There was a smoking hole from where the shot erupted from. The jawa crawled out from underneath and stood up blaster in hand muttering swear words. He did not get very far._

 _The two found themselves amidst a barrage of Force Lightning from all around. Arran let out a groan of pain, sinking to his knees. He wasn't able to weather this, especially after the wounds he suffered on Lwhekk. He found himself on all fours. It was worse without the Force. Zanka did not fare much better. Letting out a yowl of pain, his body convulsed as the electricity coursed through him._

 _The anger swelled inside of Arran. Dark thoughts circled his mind. He was reminded of his past; the past that he had tried to forget and walk away from. He was a dark lord; responsible for the deaths of thousands. The deaths wouldn't stop, not while he was still alive. Arran accepted the anger and the raw fury, it gave him strength and allowed him to unlock his full potential. He wanted to unleash his power and show the nightsisters a true wielder of the Dark Side. That was when he saw Nk'ik. If he unleashed his power, the jawa would get caught in the crossfire. Arran subsided and fell to the ground, the darkness taking over his vision._

 _Soon blackness greeted the two.]_

 _ **Long Ago Junk**_ **\- Cargo Hold**

 _[Several lights flicker on H8er's head and a series of beeps go off.]_

R5-H8: It appears I am online again. This is worse than being given to jawas. I am forced to power down whenever the jawa sees fit. Every time I wake up, I remember that I have not been destroyed. It is horrific. Perhaps I should give the jawa more credit. I did not think there could be anything worse. Perhaps I should cooperate for a time, if only to cease the horror at realizing I continue to exist.

 _[H8er exited the cargo hold and went about the ship.]_

R5-H8: Jawa! Master! I have decided to cooperate in the hopes that I am actually destroyed when all of this is over. Or you find a droid that actually enjoys serving you. Preferably the first as I do not want to be sold to another. That would mean my continued existence.

 _[He had covered most of the ship by now.]_

R5-H8: Where is everyone? Perhaps if I stay on the ship and they return, they will be assured of my cooperation and destroy me.

 _[With that, H8er went to perform minimal repairs on the ship.]_

 **Dathomir - Nightsister Stronghold**

 _[The young jawa woke up with a crippling headache. His vision blurred, he searched around for Arran, finally locating the older man strung from a pole by his hands and feet. The jawa found himself in a similar predicament, and the more he fussed and tugged on the tight rope, the tighter the knots seemed to become. Zanka realized they were moved to a different camp, one with large walls surrounding the perimeter and stone structures. The whooping and hollering of the nightsisters stayed the same, however, as they continued to march around the fire. There was one woman in particular who stood in the middle of them all, chanting a prayer into the flames.]_

Zanka: _[He shook his head several times trying to make the headache go away. No such luck.]_ Arran. You awake?

 _[Arran hung like dead weight, but the movement of his chest assured Zanka that he was still alive. The jawa let out a sigh and again tried fiddling with the rope on his wrists. He abruptly stopped fiddling. This was just like the cuffs. He broke those cuffs. He could break these rope bindings. Flexing his arm muscles, he gave a great pull. It didn't work. Gritting his teeth, he gave another pull. The ropes had been tied securely. Letting a growl of frustration escape his mouth he gave a final pull and broke the ropes. With his hands free, he began to undo the ropes that bound his legs. Doing so, he fell on the ground._

 _It was then that he realized he was missing both his poncho and bandoleer. The poncho had been a gift from Jaden. Nothing he could do about it. He had already burned bridges with his former Jedi Master. The loss of the poncho just made it drive the point home in physical terms. He began to undo the bindings around Arran's legs. It took him several minutes to undo the knot, the headache pounding away. He nudged Arran's legs once more.]_

Zanka: Arran. Wake up.

 _[Arran could still feel the lightning striking his body. Smoke rose from his back. First a strike from Liz, the others by the Nightsisters. Arran's breathing slowed, his vision blurred. Darkness shrouded him until all he saw was nothingness. He was unconscious, in a deep meditative state, feeling life leave him. Arran wanted to let go and let his life slip. But some strength inside kept him from doing so. He saw his father, Daveth Khaar, walk towards him and shake his head before letting out a hand. He wanted to take it, but he didn't._

Daveth: _[shaking his head]_ What has my son become?

Arran: You know that answer already. I am no different than I was. You never stopped me before.

Daveth: You give into darkness because it is easy. You do it to protect yourself and the people you love.

Arran: You say it as if it's a bad thing.

Daveth: I say it because it's the truth. Now what are you going to do? _[he wore his traditional Jedi robes, looking down at Arran]_ What's worse, you brought the jawa into the danger. This is your fight. _[he pointed at Arran.]_

Arran: The jawa has heart. He would have came on his own if he had the chance.

Daveth: _[He took a step back and lowered his hood, revealing his warm face that Arran remembers from his childhood.]_ So what now? You give back into darkness and betray your brother—

Arran: I have done a lot to protect the Jedi in my own way. I see through the lies of the Jedi. The Dark Side is my ally, even if it is a deceiver at times. I can utilize both—

Daveth: You are no longer a child burning ants under glass Arran. You do not have the level of control you think you do. Kneel before the light. Accept it. Diminish the darkness that plagues you _[Daveth said, pleading to his son.]_

Arran: I kneel before no one. I will not be condemned a slave. I have control. I have learned to accept my anger, and not be afraid of it like the Jedi. I use my emotions to guide me. I do not follow a doctrine, I follow myself. Brand me a Sith if you want father, but I will not change.

Daveth: _[He nodded and waved away at Arran with his hands.]_ You were always stubborn. Go. It is not your time yet. Do what you will.

Arran: I always do _[ He watched Daveth walk away, and felt life returning to him.]_

 _[With Arran showing no signs of waking up anytime soon, Zanka began to untie the ropes that bound his hands. It was slightly easier now that he had undone the knot once. Within a moment Arran had fallen to the ground with a slight thud._

 _Arran hit the floor, he awoke instantly with a gasp of air from the impact. His eyes were hard to open, but when they did he could see the jawa's bright yellow eyes looking at him. Behind him, he saw the Nightsisters gathering around them.]_

Arran: Nk'ik, what have you done?

Zanka: I was trying to escape.

 _[Arran witnessed the Nightsisters gathering in large groups, armed with spears and other weapons pointed at them. He lowered his head on the ground and let out a long sigh.]_

Arran: You're doing a hell of a job.

Zanka: I regained consciousness first. I decided to act.

Arran: Act? You call this acting? You wake up first, free me, and let _every_ nightsister know that we're awake and fleeing. You acted irrationally and out of turn.

Zanka: I could have let Nightsisters kill us in our sleep. _[He went on sarcastically]_ Yeah, now that I think on it, that's a better plan.

Arran: If they wanted to kill us, they'd have done it already. We were strung up Nk'ik. They escorted us to their stronghold. We're prisoners.

Zanka: _[He could have mentioned Tuskens kill prisoners. He figured it wasn't the best idea. They weren't the same as Nightsisters, probably.]_ I didn't want them to get any further drops on us.

Arran: Consider them dropped Nk'ik. _[Arran slowly gets to his feet, dusting himself off, he looks for his blaster on his belt but notices that it's been taken. Before them are more than a dozen Nightsisters, much more than the number in the encampment they viewed previously.]_ I don't suppose you thought of a plan when you woke up before me?

Zanka: Only two—sneak out, or fight. It really boiled down to those two.

 _[Arran discreetly felt around in his pockets. Tucked in the corner of his front pocket, he could feel the outline of his comm unit. He wouldn't use it right away. Instead he calmly clasped his hands behind his back and looked out at the Nightsisters.]_

Arran: Eat the jawa first. He's tender—Rancors will enjoy him as a quick snack.

Zanka: Humans have a higher nutritional value. They have a large amount of iron. They're not sour like jawas are.

Arran: True. He's right, I'm the wiser choice. Feed him to your young ones, he won't put up much of a fight.

Zanka: _[he responded with bit of a biting tone]_ I could say same about you recently.

 _[Arran rose a fist to strike the jawa but an elder of the Nightsisters walked to the front and put the two in a Force stasis.]_

Elder Nightsister: Silence! We have no interest in your petty quarrels. Who do you take us for? We aren't savages! Sisters, resume the ritual. _[A grin appeared on the woman's face as the two were levitated into the air and placed before the fire. The witch released them from their stasis. Arran's blow met the side of Zanka's head.]_

Zanka: Asshole.

Arran: It would've happened sooner. You knew it was coming.

 _[The Nightsisters chanted and danced around the fire. The lead Witch smiled at Arran as she used a form of magic on the fire. She walked over to him with a blade and quickly cut his hand. She took hold of his hand and squeezed out a few drops of blood onto a wooden plate before tossing the plate into the fire. The fire shot out a dark red smoke into the air. The red smoke grew larger until it billowed over them. It at first showed vague images of Arran and Drasli at a young age, then Arran being tortured by the Sith. People were being slaughtered by Arran. His deeply hued eyes pierced through the cloud. Finally it showed the duel of Arran and Drasli, one that changed their lives forever._

 _The cloud then showed Liz and her seduction towards the Dark Side. Arran felt a warmth in his heart that he controlled and let go away. He felt the pain in his stomach from the lightsaber piercing through him.]_

Elder Nightsister: _[laughing]_ Your thoughts betray you, Militus.

 _[That name. Hearing it leave the elder Nightsisters lips left Arran feeling cold. The Dark Side lingered inside of him, and the sound of his old Sith name drew it out of its dormant state. He tried to control it, but the power was overwhelming.]_

Arran: That isn't my name anymore.

Elder Nightsister: Sure it is. You cannot contain the darkness. We felt your presence as soon as you landed on Dathomir. We knew you would come to us. You were drawn here, even after you tried to sever yourself from us. Yes, we are both connected to the Dark Side of the Force. There's no escaping.

 _[The scenes in the smoke weren't over, Arran watched as the memories of his younger self unfolded around him. He slaughtered countless Jedi, some he didn't even remember, but he didn't doubt that they happened. Temples crumbled; leaving nothing but tremors in the Force of what used to be there.]_

Arran: Why are you showing this to me, Witch? _[he was done watching his past. He had lived through it and knew what he had done. Whatever the witch was planning, it wasn't going to work.]_

Elder Nightsister: You are a Dark Lord at heart, Militus...you cannot escape the Dark Side...You have even started to corrupt the jawa by just standing near him. I can sense the darkness in him as well.

 _[There was the image of Drasli again. Arran narrowed in on his brother's face and watched as he cut down his brothers wife, Laura. He still had regrets for killing her, the mother of his children. Especially when Drasli had led a dangerous mission to save Liz. He had done so much for Arran multiple times. The last time nearly costed Khaar his life. He repaid Drasli by trying to turn his only daughter, Lyla Khaar, away from the Dark Side when she lingered close to the edge.]_

Arran: You know nothing of my life.

Elder Nightsister: Perhaps not...but I will soon enough.

Arran: _[He watched images of more Jedi screaming as they were slain by Arran, some hunted down as they quivered in fear.]_ What do you want from me Witch?

Elder Nightsister: _[laughs]_ You are a powerful ally to the Dark Side. It craves for your presence again. Even now it lingers inside of you. Unleash it!

Arran: I cannot become what I was so foolishly in my youth.

Elder Nightsister: You had power and instilled fear. Many would still be alive if you were still as powerful. Militus will never be put behind you. He will ALWAYS live inside.

Arran: I have learned to cage the beast _[he tried ignoring the images flashing before him.]_

Elder Nightsister: You are no _Jedaii_...I sense no such resolve inside of you. You are a shell of what you once were. Why, I wonder?

 _[Arran stayed quiet, but images appeared over the fire. It showed Arran with Drasli, Arran's son Kyle, and Liz. He had made promises to each of them to be better. Arran lowered his head. Giving back into the darkness would be so easy. He would have no problem slaughtering the Nightsisters where they stood. Why fear himself and his true potential?]_

Elder Nightsister: You have ignored your true self for too long…—You even ignore The Betrayer when she gives you guidance on Korriban.

 _[Images appear of Kreia revealing herself to Zanka and Arran on Korriban. '"Do not face the threat alone," echoes in the voice of the old crone that had offered them guidance, guidance that Arran had not taken._

 _The Nightsister then walked up to the jawa and cut his hand, pouring his blood on a plate before casting it into the fire.]_

Elder Nightsister: Let us show you your future, if you proceed down your true path.

Zanka: You mean like my shamans?

Elder Nightsister: Quiet fool. We are not as simplistic as your Jawa shamans.

Zanka: Fuck you.

 _[In the smoke are images of Zanka, Arran, H8er, and two others—clarity shines through as Arran looks up, seeing the face of Myles, and Azura. Sith were being slain at their feet, Arran was embracing his full rage, donning his old armor, the armor the galaxy once recognized and feared. There is darkness as the clouds reform. Zanka looked physically stronger, a greater deal of muscle was visible. He wore black robes with armor plating on them with a black cloak over it. The armor seemed to be made of some sort of bone. His yellow eyes had become red. His facewrap was not on—one could see his face completely. A torrent of fire flew from his fingertips. The makeshift group seen in the image had fought their way through the Sith temple, until coming to a figure sitting on a throne. Arran saw his face up close, he recognized it from his past. It was not someone he ever thought he would see—it wasn't someone he even knew was alive. Beside him was Liz._

 _Arran had seen enough._

 _[He rose his head slowly, eyes glaring at the head Witch. The other Nightsisters dropped their spears and grabbed at their necks. Arran had a hold on all of them. The Dark Side swirled inside of him, feeding into his anger and hatred. The Elder Nightsister looked around in amazement before smiling. Militus was showing through. The image of Militus came back in the clouds and stayed strong in the fire, slowly increasing in size.]_

Arran: You better run Nk'ik.

Zanka: I don't think so.

 _[Arran kept his hold on the Nightsisters strong, leaving some room for air to still breathe. Arran forced the Nightsisters to drop to their knees all at once, even their Rancor, who had just come out from the cave, had dropped to the ground, grabbing at its neck and roaring in confusion. He was now walking towards the head Witch. She met him with her hands outstretched, she shot lightning from her fingertips. Arran ignored the pain and grabbed at her hands, squeezing them tightly before grabbing at her throat. The image of Militus grew darker in the smoke. Arran threw the Elder Nightsister into the inferno. She screamed as the flames cooked her flesh._

 _Arran looked at the remaining Nightsisters who still were grabbing at their throats. He looked them each in the eye before tightening his grip on their throats. The sounds of snapping necks sounded like twigs snapping in the forest. They each fell over. It was done. The images faded away until there was nothing but Arran, Zanka, and a normal fire._

 _Even the Rancor's neck cracked loudly as it fell over. Arran looked around the area at the dead Nightsisters and then peered at the corpse of the Witch burning in the fire. His anger was building, and even though he had killed many, it didn't quench it. He was ashamed of himself, but had almost forgotten what the darkness felt like. It felt good. But he knew going down this path would only bring him more pain...it seemed like a fair trade._

 _More Nightsisters were coming out of their homes to greet them. Arran didn't have his lightsaber, but he had the Force, and he was ready to deliver more pain.]_

Arran: Nk'ik, make me proud, or get out of my way.

 _[The jawa nodded and turned to face a Nightsister who had begun to stab at him with a spear. Dodging the first stab, the second broke his rib. He let out a yowl of pain. He used the Force to pull the spear from the Nightsister's hands into his own. The Nightsister smirked and unleashed a torrent of fire towards Zanka. He threw the spear to the side and rolled to his right, letting out a gasp of pain._

 _Picking himself up, he watched as the Nightsister redirected the torrent of fire towards him. He wasn't sure how she did it. Another roll would not be a wise choice given the pain the last one caused. All of the anger he had been holding onto for some time erupted. The man who killed his parents, Tuzmek, Jaden—the being constantly attacked. He was sick of it. Using the Force he caused the Nightsister to fall on her back before doing the first thing that came to his mind. He had a general idea of what to do. Now was the time to do it. He gathered Force energy in his hands and sent several sparks of Force Lightning towards the Nightsister. She convulsed for several seconds but gave the jawa a glare as the sparks stopped. Not wasting a moment, he ran up to her and stomped her face in.]_

Arran: _[He smiled at the jawa's results and took out his comm unit. A Nightsister jumped to attack, but Arran took hold of her in the Force and slammed her into the ground multiple times. He was about to comm for H8er to pick them up, but instead he contacted someone else.]_ Myles. If you can hear me, I'm on Dathomir. Search for _the 'Long Ago Junk'_ , you will find me there. Bring the Shadows. _[He clicked the comm unit off.]_ Nk'ik, let's go.

Zanka: Give me a minute.

 _[Zanka had begun looking through the small huts until he found what he was looking for. His bandoleer and blaster were on the ground amidst some familiarly colored rags as well as Arran's blaster. He paused. That was the same color of the poncho Jaden had given him. He was about to have some sort of saddened feeling but stopped. He had already given up on the poncho. Just like he had given up on Jaden. He picked up Arran's blaster and lobbed it to him before picking up the pieces of the poncho. He walked back to Arran, and tossed the remains of his poncho in the fire before turning to him.]_

Zanka: Let's go.

 _[Arran nodded and grabbed his blaster, securing it in his holster. He felt the anger swell, and he stared down the remaining Nightsisters that charged them. Using the Force, Arran lifted the carcass of the Rancor off of the ground and hurled it in their direction. This gave the two an opportunity to leave. Arran took it. He started running toward the Stronghold wall, using the Force to kick him up off the ground with a mighty leap. He landed and kept on running.]_

Arran: Contact H8er. Find out where the hell we were. If we can locate the speeders we can make our way back to the spaceport. Myles will be waiting for us there.

Zanka: _[Taking out his comm unit he paged H8er]_ H8er, get us our position.

R5-H8: _[Almost immediately and sounding oddly cheerful]_ Ninety clicks South of where the spaceport is, jawa.

Arran: Good. Prepare for visitors.


	6. Chapter 6

—/ Chapter 6 /—

 **Dathomir - Aurilia Spaceport**

 _[The journey to the 'Long Ago Junk' took Arran and Zanka around 5 hours. The two were silent for the duration of the trip. Arran was battling his conflicting emotions as his mind dwelled into the Dark Side. He felt himself slipping into the endless pit that he used to be in. The Dark Side was strong, and it felt like an entity holding tightly around his throat. It would not let up, but the raw power and energy Arran felt was beyond words. It was his reason for existing. The amount of power he felt reminded him of his younger years as a Sith Lord, leading a militant of fighters. The overwhelming energy was comforting to him, yet...disturbing._

 _Zanka walked, keeping one hand over his rib, channeling the Force to heal it. He glanced down at his hand. It had been only several hours ago that he had used this same hand to direct lightning at a Nightsister. He thought about how it felt. It felt—powerful. He had felt powerful. He wasn't a weak jawa like the rest of his species. He was capable of so much more._

 _Arran rode the speeder bike into the docking bay where the 'Long Ago Junk' was still sitting safely in one piece. The cargo ramp lowered and Arran pushed his bike inside. Zanka did the same, and Arran looked around the ship, perplexed.]_

Arran: Make sure H8er is still on the ship. It's not like him to be this...nondestructive. I'll be outside waiting for Myles to arrive.

Zanka: Will do. [ _Then he heard the mention of Myles.]_ Oh. _That_ guy. Great. _[He entered the ship and made his way into the cargo bay only to find H8er gone. He began to check each of the rooms only to find H8er in the cockpit.]_

 _[Arran walked back down the cargo ramp, his hand guiding along the ship as he walked down. He was feeling shaken up, probably from the immense amount of anger and energy he felt coursing through him. Still, he managed to walk out of the ship and wait.]_

R5-H8: _[Upon seeing Zanka]_ Jawa, you have returned! I was concerned you both would have died and left me without a master to order my destruction. I could have destroyed myself regardless but doing so with Master's order would have been more...fulfilling.

Zanka: We have a new addition on the ship. His name is Myles. You can also call him Asshole.

R5-H8: He cannot be any worse than my first notions of you. I will see how he is first-hand. Maybe he will hate me enough to shoot me on sight.

Zanka: _[He was getting more irritated by the second at the thought of Myles arriving.]_ Just go meet them outside the ship.

 _[The two exited the ship via the loading ramp and met up with Arran. Myles had not yet arrived. The moments after could be described in no better way than awkward. H8er was impatiently rocking back and forth, occasionally rolling over Zanka's foot on purpose, at which point Zanka unclipped the ionization blaster from his belt and shot H8er at point blank range multiple times for safe measure. The droid let out a screech as its systems were forced to shut down, the last buzzing resonating of H8er saying his last words.]_

R5-H8: IT WAS WORTH IT.

 _[Zanka turned to Arran.]_

Zanka: Oops. _[He clipped the blaster back on his belt.]_

 _[Arran said nothing, he was annoyed with the situation, but more annoyed that Myles had taken as long as he had. Still, he had to give the kid credit, he was preoccupied with rounding up the Shadow, possibly finishing repairs on Arran's ship, and then having to travel from a system in another section of the Outer Rim. Arran could feel them getting closer, but it didn't make him feel any less anxious. When the sight of Arran's ship came into view, landing in the docking bay connected to theirs, Arran was quick to walk over to it. Before the ship even finished landing, Arran was already at the entrance of the loading ramp._

 _Myles came out of the ship. He was donned in the Union Shadow armor with his helmet tucked under his left arm. His other hand was secured over his blaster armor he wore was of a very dark gray with a solid white stripe forming down the center. The armor was not shiny and pristine, but rather had scorch marks and other signs of damage. Two Union Shadow soldiers came down the ramp with Myles walking in perfect unison. Myles stopped and saluted Arran, the two Shadow follow suit.]_

Myles: Sir, repairs on _Horizon_ are complete and _The Titan_ is currently in orbit.

 _['Horizon'. The name gave Arran a smirk, and the mention of 'The Titan' only reinforced it. 'Horizon' was a unique ship Arran had designed off of the Intersector-class as a personal transport vessel. 'The Titan' on the other hand, was a Corvette class ship. Both ships were heavily armed, but they were not exactly discreet. Even if seeing 'Horizon' and hearing about 'The Titan' was a pleasant experience, he knew he wouldn't be able to take them. Not while the Union and Sith were after him._

 _Zanka was quiet, though he did glare continuously at Myles. Arran gave Myles a strong nod and looked over at Zanka. He could sense a boiling over of emotion from Zanka. Before he could say anything about it, H8er had quickly rolled over, running his metal frame into the jawa. Zanka used the Force and hurled the droid back up the loading ramp of the 'Long Ago Junk'. A loud crash was heard from inside the ship, followed by a screech.]_

R5-H8: NEXT TIME DO IT HARDER! I ALMOST FELT MY MEMORY CORE DISLODGE!

Arran: _[Shaking his head at the incident, he turned back to Myles]_ Do you still have access into the Union mainframe?

Myles: _[Shakes his head]_ They deleted the access codes that we used to use. Without physical access there isn't a way in. What are you looking for?

Arran: _[Clenching his fists at the news, Arran was seething.]_ Those damn cowards… _[His hands went to his hips as he stared at the ground, pacing in a small area. They needed credits, and they needed intel.]_ It's not a what so much as a who. I need Union intelligence to locate someone and we're low on credits as it is. Is there a facility we can overrun to gain physical access? 

Myles: Not easily enough and quickly enough to get what you are looking for by the time reinforcements arrive, though if we found someone with access they could be persuaded to help us.

Arran: _[He would have preferred to take the chances and overtake the Union embassy to gain access. It would be a simpler plan—less variables. But he had a plan B in mind.]_ Nk'ik, what about Meeka?

Zanka: She does. Meeka works at the Union Intelligence Bureau.

Arran: She seemed auspicious about meeting me at your wedding Nk'ik, how willing do you think she would be to help us?

Zanka: I haven't called her lately. She's going to be upset with me. After she's calmed down, most likely.

Myles: _[Looks towards Arran.]_ Your pet got married?

R5-H8: _[From inside of the ship, it is barely audible to the group but still heard.]_ I WOULD BE LAUGHING IF MY BEHAVIOR CORE ALLOWED IT. I WOULD ALSO BE DEAD IF MY PROCESSOR ALLOWED IT.

Zanka: _[Glares at Myles]_ Then what are you? His dog? Licking at his heels like a bitch in heat.

Myles: _[Frowned and looked down at the jawa, raising an arm the two soldiers behind him raised their blasters at the jawa]_ You have been let off of your leash too long Jedi. We have a mission to complete.

Zanka: _[He cocked his head as if seeing the two soldiers for the first time. He looked between them and Myles several times.]_ I'm not a Jedi. At least your men can aim at me. They're not a coward like you. _[He spits down at the ground in front of Myles]_ Pathetic.

 _[Myles shifts his grip on his helmet before putting it back on and raises his blaster rifle before quickly firing three shots at Zanka. Arran swings two fingers to the side, causing the barrel of Myle's weapon to shift to the side. The three shots make contact with a durasteel wall.]_

Arran: Enough. Myles, stand down. I require order in my team. If you two feel the need to fight then fine, but you will do so in my terms. Myles, call out your troops. We will create an arena right here in the spaceport. This is not a spar—this is Kaggath. I will referee. You may injure the other, but no fatal strikes. This is for you two to let out your aggression, and for the loser to experience some much needed humiliation.

 _[Myles nods and orders the ten soldiers to form a large circle in front of 'Horizon'. Zanka promptly walks to one side, Myles to the other. Training swords are thrown to each combatant. Arran stands in the middle, his blaster raised in the air.]_

Arran: When I fire, you begin.

 _[Arran waited and looked at the both of them. He waited a few moments, sensing the anger and determination in both of them. The blaster was fired into the air, and the duel began._

 _Myles took no time waiting for an opening. He leaps towards Zanka, his sword arcing down above his body. Zanka raises his blade to block, the swords clashing hard together. Zanka has a hard time blocking the harsh blow Myles had put all of his weight into. The jawa tried dodging out of the way, but felt the aching in his ribs from the injury he received from the Nightsisters. Zanka let out a groan but still managed to sidestep the stocky young adult and arc the blade in a sweeping motion. Myles predicted this quick maneuver and his boot met Zanka's face, causing the jawa to tumble onto the ground. Zanka tried flipping back up onto his feet, but felt the extreme pain from his ribcage. His hand grazed the source of his pain, but he held his sword up in defense. Myles noticed the pained stance the jawa was in, and noticed his hand moving to his ribcage. He would take advantage of that._

 _Zanka took the moment's gap and attacked, Myles met the basic attack with a parry. The two locked swords. With Myles' height and strength advantage, Zanka was forced to retrieve his hand from his ribcage and tighten his grip on the blade. Zanka couldn't tell, but from behind his helmet, Myles was smiling. While their blades were locked, Myles quickly withdrew his right hand and gave a quick jab to Zanka's ribs. Zanka let out a sharp howl and hunched over, dropping to one knee. Myles put his blade up against Zanka's neck and held it in place. Arran fired another blaster shot and Myles retrieved the blade.]_

Arran: Myles, I'll see to you in my ship.

 _[Myles nods and goes to the ship, the Shadow follow. Arran nods to Myles and watches him walk off. When he reaches the top of the loading ramp, Arran turns to look at Zanka, who is still on one knee, clutching at his chest and having trouble breathing. He holsters his pistol and slowly walks over to the jawa, looking down at him and saying nothing.]_

 _[Zanka said nothing for a minute, only the sound of ragged breathing coming from his mouth. He thought of how he had gotten to this point in the first place. He hated Myles. The asshole had tortured him before. Upon seeing him, he lost it. He didn't expect to have to duel him. On top of that, he wasn't prepared. He had forgotten that his actions had consequences—but not just his actions, his words as well. He wasn't sorry for what he said regarding Myles. It wouldn't have done to instigate him while injured. What he realized however, was the same quickness to say such harmful words he had said in the Nightsister camp. He and Arran had been going at it in a good-natured ribbing when he had made the comment regarding Arran not having a fight in him lately.]_

Zanka: _[Taking several more gasps of air before managing to get out a few words]_ I was out of line. Earlier in the camp as well as now. I hate Myles but shouldn't have been stupid.

Arran: Stupid is putting it lightly, Nk'ik. The Dark Side is a powerful thing, and so far I've let you wield it like a kid stumbling across his father's blaster. You had no discipline. You're feeling your breaths getting shorter, and you wonder if you should even get up. You're defeated—useless. You've succumb to what every idiot Sith has before you. I could have taught you like a Jedi, Nk'ik. I could have sat you down and told you all of my secrets and how to perform Dark Side abilities. But where would that get you? I thought if I let you find it out on your own you'd turn out better. It turns out you ended up in the same place—on the ground like a fool. Get up and see you receive medical attention on your ship, I need to grab a few things from _Horizon._

 _[Zanka attempted to stand up. His back was racked with pain. It took him several seconds to steady himself up, weight planted slightly more on one foot.]_

Zanka: I won't _[he took a long pause]_ make the same mistake again.

 _[With that he turned and went back to his ship, hobbling along the way.]_

Arran: We'll see _[he said quietly as he turned and head inside of 'Horizon'. He was expecting to hear a rattling sound when he entered the ship, but he heard silence. There was a healthy humming coming from the engine room, followed by the beeping of panels. Instead of a few crates as a patched booth, Arran was met with a furnished ship that was sleek and state of the art. It had been so long. He had spent the last few months with Zanka and had forgotten what the interior of a ship was supposed to look like. Arran went into his room, which required a hand scan to open. When he entered, he noticed everything had been the way he left it. His bed sheets were pulled down, his lockbox was still under his bed, and his holoterminal was open on the same tab it used to be—a planetary overview of Wayland, where they had been forced to land and fight against Sith. It was thanks to Myles and the Shadow that they had survived. Arran had trained the Shadow to fight Jedi, but they served just as well against the Sith._

 _He powered off the holoterminal and walked over to his bed, recounting the many nights he lay awake trying to locate Liz through the Force. Now he had found her, and he was filled with rage and a desire for revenge. Arran was reminded of the face he saw in the flames, the one responsible for turning Liz against him. Until he regains access to the Union mainframe, he won't know for sure who he was, and even then, he might not ever know._

 _In order to fight the Sith, Arran would need help. The old crone on Korriban had told him to recruit allies, and in the flames of the Nightsister campfire he saw himself, Zanka, Myles, H8er, and another whom he never thought he would team up with, let alone trust. Her name was Azura Vahn. Like Arran, she's a Sith, and not one to be trusted. The two have butt heads before, and she has proven herself to be difficult. She's a sorceress who uses a form of dark magic combined with the Dark Side that even Arran doesn't understand. He would need access to the Union mainframe in order to track her down too._

 _Arran pulled the lockbox out from under his bed and opened it up. Inside was his old Sith robes and armor, the outfit he wore when he lead a militia, fought the Jedi, and overtook the Republic to transform it into the Union. The Nightsisters wanted Arran to accept his past as Darth Militus and relive that life, this was a start._

 _It didn't take Arran very long to put on the was like muscle memory, and it fit just right. Arran was now donned in a long black robe on top of dark armor synthesized with beskar, in addition to gauntlets armed with sharp spikes at the knuckles. At the bottom of the lockbox he noticed his old mask, which had a long crack down the middle of it from the battles it had seen. Even just looking at it, Arran felt his old presence creeping in on him in an embrace, like an old friend welcoming himself back into the world. Arrn reached for it, and thought of himself killing the Jedi, killing countless people—He pulled back and locked the box back up, kicking it underneath his bed. He left his chambers and locked it up behind him. Arran was going to search for Myles, but he was already outside of Arran's bedroom door. His helmet was tucked under his left arm and he gave Arran a salute.]_

Arran: At ease. I have a new mission for you.

Myles: What needs doing?

Arran: You're coming with me on the ' _Long Ago Junk'_. If I'm going to defeat the Sith, I need your assistance. Send the Shadow to the Jedi Temple—They will not attack, only standby and defend. They will take _Horizon_ and _The Titan._ Keep my room locked down. My ship will not be used unless it is an emergency. If the Jedi are compromised and their location is found by the Union, the Shadow will escort them by any means to _The Titan_. Don't question why I'm protecting them, just follow orders.

Myles: We're protecting them now?

Arran: Just follow orders and make it quick. Transfer what supplies you need to the ' _Long Ago Junk'_. I'll meet you there.

 _ **Long Ago Junk**_ **\- Aurilia Spaceport**

 _[Zanka was in the cockpit of his ship, sitting on the couch. There were several long strips of cloth and a rusty syringe filled with an oddly colored fluid, H8er beside him making several whirring sounds.]_

R5-H8: Do you hear that? This sound is the closest my vocabulator can make to indicate laughter.

Zanka: _[He had since opened up his robe and began tying several of the strips around his torso albeit with difficulty. Gasps of pain escaped his lips.]_ I'm not in the mood.

R5-H8: If I were in your position, I would have stayed on the ground and died. It would have been the greatest feeling in the world.

Zanka: _[Finishing the last of the knots and pulling the robe closed, he picked up the syringe and pulled back his sleeve, feeling the fur on his arms. It wasn't as simple as a human finding a vein. Probably the reason his species didn't use these. Using the Force he concentrated to find a viable spot.]_ I'm rying to fix my ribs. A short term answer involves a shot of pain-killer and binding the chest. A long term answer involves lots of meditation and using the Force. I can't do the second right now. _[He injected the shot into his arm.]_

 _[The sound of creaking metal was proof of Arran coming aboard the ship. He entered the cockpit and gripped the back of the couch.]_

Arran: Have you made contact with Meeka?

 _[Zanka looked at Arran and noticed his new appearance. He had seen Arran in robes before, but never with the armor underneath. Looking back down at his arm he pushed down the plunger, before taking out the syringe and putting it down on the armrest next to him. He turned back to Arran.]_

Zanka: Yes. She's on Coruscant at the Union Intelligence Bureau.

Arran: I'm aware of its location. We can depart when Myles gathers what supplies he needs and comes on board.

 _[Zanka nodded, saying nothing.]_

Arran: Have you thought more on what I said?

Zanka: Yes. I was proud that I was able to make lightning come out of my hands. It showed that I could do stuff on my own. I was strong. I didn't expect things to get worse. _[He didn't like asking for help. Even more-so, he didn't like admitting he was wrong. It went against everything he believed in. Still, pride was one thing, idiocy was another. He was many things. An idiot was not one of them.]_ I want to continue, keep going.

Arran: You will. Going down this path means no going back. The Jedi believe in redemption, but you can never truly be a Jedi after letting the darkness in. It will always be there. It will always call you back.

Zanka: I didn't think I was truly a Jedi before. I was too...erratic for them. I don't mind the darkness. I like it. It's better to be honest and feel it, than lie to myself.

Arran: Don't mind it? Nk'ik, you've seen firsthand what the Dark Side has done to my life and what it is continuing to do. You've seen the people I've killed along the way. You feel anger, you feel hate—use it, don't let it use you.

Zanka: Didn't they have it coming? They tried to kill us.

Arran: Would the Jedi have killed? Would the Jedi have killed like _I_ did?

Zanka: No. You're not Jedi though.

Arran: Like I said Nk'ik, you've started this path and now you have to see it through. You're not a Jedi—you never were, you never will be.

Zanka: What happens to people who don't see it through?

Arran: They die a hopeless, meaningless life.

Zanka: I guess it's good I'm seeing it through then.

Arran: That's a safe guess.

Zanka: If I never will be a Jedi, what am I then—Just a jawa with a lightsaber?

Arran: Why are you asking me? You command your life now Nk'ik, I'm just here to make sure you don't fuck it up too badly.

Zanka: I guess it doesn't matter. At the end of the day, I'm still me. I should give Jaden some stuff back then. Is it safe to send a package to the Temple?

Arran: _[Sits down on the couch beside Zanka and smacks him in the back of the head as he does so.]_ Of course it matters, otherwise we wouldn't be here. You'd be at the Temple if it didn't matter. _[He gazes out the viewport at Myles heading into their section of the spaceport, a large crate in his hands. His ship 'Horizon' lifts off of the ground and flies away.]_ My ship is going to the Temple, you missed your shot. We have more important prerogatives. H8er, welcome our new guest, show him his quarters—the supply closet beside the cargo bay.

R5-H8: Master, I go there when I have finished my duties to recharge and sulk upon my continued existence.

Arran: Now you can have company to sulk with. Go, before I ionize you myself—I won't need the gun.

 _[The droid left the cockpit at record speed.]_

Arran: _[Points at his ship as it leaves in the distance]_ See that Nk'ik? That's what a _real_ ship looks like.

Zanka: You're not on it. My ship is the real one. It has character.

Arran: _[He scoffs sharply.]_ Set the coordinates for Coruscant. I won't accompany you when you meet Meeka. She's too involved with the Union and I'm their most wanted criminal. Take H8er instead. Myles and I will keep to the ship.

 _[Zanka nodded, inputting the coordinates for Coruscant into the navicomputer. The ship took off with a slight shuddering and exited the planet's atmosphere. Several minutes later it made the jump to hyperspace. Upon reaching Coruscant space, the ship came to a halt, followed by the sounds of metal scraping. There was an alarm sounding in the cockpit, the lights flickering due to power failures.]_

Arran: We lost some "character" upon entry.

Zanka: It might be due to our new crew member.

Arran: Wait until your injuries are healed before making comments like that Nk'ik, or you'll find more broken ribs in the future.

Zanka: _[He said nothing for several moments before nodding.]_ I get it.


	7. Chapter 7

—/ Chapter 7 /—

 **Coruscant - Union Intelligence Bureau**

 _[Arran and Myles had been left on the ship. The last Nk'ik saw of them was when he was walking down the loading ramp with H8er. The two were enjoying a game of Dejarik, but right from the start it had become a heated game. Zanka could hear Arran yelling even as he made his way through Union security.]_

Union Security: What business do you bring to this section of Coruscant?

Zanka: _[He decided to speak in the jawa Trade language. A jawa speaking Galactic Basic was already enough to draw unwanted attention, something he didn't want on this planet.]_ Here to see wife. Works in Union.

Union Security: Carrying any cargo we should know about?

Zanka: _[He widened his jawa eyes in what could be thought of as an 'innocent' look and spoke rapidly in his language.]_ Crates of old medicine from Tatooine Civil War. Two humans helped get off-planet when Union came to help. Very grateful. Never thought Union would come to aid of jawas, much better than Hutts.

Union Security: It's security protocol that we board your ship in this sector, are you sure there is nothing we should know about before we enter? No wild animals or illegal weaponry?

Zanka: Only human father and son. Son very rude, father yelling at him right now. Might have to witness family troubles. Can board ship if you want—don't know why would want to watch typical father-son fighting though.

Union Security: It's mandatory sir. The only other option would be to have your ship fully scanned—Lately we've had to resort to checking the ships over ourselves because of some civil lawsuits—I don't know the logistics of it. As the ship's captain you can sign off on the scanning if you wish.

Zanka: Why not offer scan right away than search the ship?

Union Security: Most people that dock here have issues with our scanning as a "personal invasion", because it was mandatory to do it after the ship has landed. For some reason they feel more comfortable when we enter it ourselves. Could be smugglers, or just paranoid spacers. It's a mess right now. The Union is battling too many lawsuits when we should be focusing on finding Arran Zarkaine. Rumor has it he's hiding on Dantooine with an Ewok.

Zanka: _[he leaned in as if to divulge conspiratorial information and looked both ways]_ Actually hiding on my ship.

Union Security: _[he takes a moment and looks at the other security officers near him. They all join in on a hearty laugh.]_ That's a good one. Move along sir, enjoy your stay in this sector of Coruscant. _[pulls out a datapad.]_ Sign here please. 

_[Zanka signed with his finger 'Captain Zanka Nk'ik'. He debated adding the expletive he had used between his first and surname several years ago but thought it childish. Thin beams shot themselves into the ship, the ship's innards were then projected onto a holoscreen. Union Security look at their terminal overlay for anything out of the ordinary. They turn and give a nod to the security officer in front of Zanka.]_

Union Security: You're clear, Mr.—uh—"Nuh-keeck?"

Zanka: Nuh-kick.

Union Security: Apologies Captain, enjoy your stay.

Zanka: Thank you. Come along, R5.

R5-H8: _[turning to the security guard before following Zanka out]_ If you ever find the fugitive, let me know. I would like to be obliterated along with him.

 _[The Security officer gave the droid a weird look but nodded the two off as they entered an elevator and were shuttled several stories up to the transit center. From there, the two took a shuttle to the Union Intelligence Bureau. H8er kept close to Zanka as they boarded and noticed the multitude of different looking species on the shuttle, still, he couldn't help but calculate that they stood out the most.]_

Zanka: We should be arriving in several minutes to meet Meeka. Try not to interrupt too much, she's smart. She picks up on things.

R5-H8: Master told me to behave, and she can't possibly be any worse than you—although, she is a jawa, I wouldn't put it past her. Your species makes my core shake.

Zanka: Any threat that I said I would have done to you pre-ionization, she would already have done the first time without telling you.

R5-H8: Let me get this straight jawa, are you saying that if I misbehave in her presence, she might end my life quicker than you and Master have promised?

Zanka: Unless I told her your greatest fear, yes.

R5-H8: My behavior core lacks the ability of experiencing, "fear". Your threats are empty without your jawa blaster.

Zanka: _[He reached into his bandoleer and pulled out a comm unit]_ I can call her on this. I'll tell her right now not to kill you.

R5-H8: _[a small speaker pops out from a compartment on the top of the droid's head, projecting his voice loudly on the shuttle]_ Tell me your plan for infiltrating into the Union again.

Zanka: _[His voice rose as well]_ Selling broken droid parts to unsuspecting merchants and making a profit. Nobody ever suspects a jawa. _[He gave a dramatic pause as if he were a street performer.]_

R5-H8: _[His head rotated and he stared at the jawa with his primary photoreceptor. It turned back to where it was, the small speaker sunk back inside of his head. In the front, a much larger speaker comes out.]_ Master Zarkaine wouldn't be too happy about that!

Zanka: _[He threw both hands to his hood and stared at the people staring for saying even louder.]_ Don't tell my wife that! She'll send me back to Tatooine!

 _[The shuttle made it to the building and landed. A computerized female voice spoke through the intercom, 'Union Intelligence Bureau'.]_

R5-H8: _[He put his speaker away and rolled out of the shuttle as the doors opened.]_ You have the capacity to fry my circuits without your jawa blaster...If my behavior core allowed for me to feel hatred, I'd have it for you.

Zanka: _[exiting the shuttle, he turned back to the people in there.]_ Jawa and Droid Comedy Duo. Out next month.

R5-H8: Kill me.

 _[The shuttle departed leaving the two in front of the building, Zanka took out his comm unit. He switched back to Galactic Basic.]_

Zanka: Meeka, we're here.

 _[Several crates were piled near the two. A jawa stepped out from behind. It did not wear the usual jawa robe, instead a similar outfit had been assembled. The overall body was white. Instead of a bandolier slung over the shoulder, there was a belt lined with pouches. A dark blue jacket with a pulled up hood was also present. On the back of the jacket were the letters UIB.]_

Meeka: I know. What's this I hear about a comedy duo? Have you actually gotten a job yet? Or are you still doing... _nothing_?

R5-H8: _[He leans his front wheels forward and gives the female jawa a mock bow and rolls up to her.]_ Mrs. Jawa, your husband spends all of his time ionizing me with a blaster and denying me my right to terminate myself.

Meeka: _[glowering at Zanka]_ Zanka. You should know by now that the Union is different from Tatooine. Not only do we have the equipment to save lives, we also allow others the right to go if should they choose. We are very progressive. Who are you to deny the droid his right to go?

R5-H8 _[the droid stands upright quickly and stutters in place, his wheels bouncing off of the ground. He rolls behind the female jawa and stares at Zanka.]_ Yeah, who are _you_?

Zanka: I'm not your legal owner. I can't grant you that. Stop acting innocent in front of wife.

R5-H8: _[H8er lets out a sound resembling a guffaw.]_ Yes jawa, tell your wife about Master. I'm sure she would approve of your company.

Meeka: Are you still traveling with Arran Zarkaine? I understand he was the minister at our wedding but he is a wanted man by the Union. That, and a _Force-user_. _[She spat out the word in disgust]_ The man seems to embody everything wrong with the Galaxy.

R5-H8: _[His guffaw intensifies.]_ A Force-user and a criminal? Oh—the thought damages my processor, how can it be so? You aren't participating in such heinous activities, are you jawa?

Zanka: _[He responded somewhat airily]_ I think my wife would know if I could use the Force….or still traveling with Arran.

Meeka: _[She puts her hands on her hips]_ Oh, it's _just_ Arran? My, what informal names you use!

R5-H8: If Mrs. Jawa has a way of detecting this "Force" thing, I suggest she do it!

Meeka: _[Replies stiffly]_ I would know if my husband was a Force-user.

Zanka: Well, I'm not traveling with _Lord Zarkaine_ anymore, you know, the name you used to call him.

Meeka: Do not take that tone with me! You are the one who never calls, does not have a proper career, does nothing with his life. Fighting one war on Tatooine does not make you a family jawa. If you are not still traveling with _Arran_ anymore, then what are you doing?

R5-H8: Oh, how absurd! The jawa surely has time to leave the ship for several hours and come back injured. He was sitting on the couch drinking and talking with Master just last night. Tell her about your recent injury, jawa.

Meeka: You're _injured_? _INJURED?_ HOW did you get injured?

Zanka: _[He remembered his time on Dathomir, shooting lightning from his hands for the first time.]_ I got apprenticed to an electrician. _[He remembered the spear breaking one rib, then the other by Myles.]_ The floor wasn't stable, we were working in an old home. The floor collapsed, it made me fall down.

Meeka: _[Whispers softly]_ You didn't think to tell me this? Who in the name of the Galaxy did you even get apprenticed to that would allow this to happen? An esteemed electrician would have known the house was a lost cause!

Zanka: Mister Zarkaani.

R5-H8: _[He lets out another noise resembling a laugh.]_ Yes, Master Zarkaani, the most esteemed and sought after "electrician" in the Galaxy. Surely Mrs. jawa has heard of _Master Zarkaani._

Meeka: _[coldly]_ Zanka. That name resembles Zarkaine.

Zanka: He's from Nar Shaddaa. He comes from a long line of criminal lords before him. He says his dad always talked about the 'old country'.

R5-H8: _[There is a moment of pause. The droid turns his head to look at Zanka, and then back to the female jawa.]_ If Mrs. Jawa allows it, I will download memory fragments of Master onto her data device.

Meeka: I'm sure if Zanka has _nothing to hide_ , it would not be a problem. Will it be a problem, _Zanka_? _[She says the last part softly, sending a glare to the jawa.]_

Zanka: _[replies in an off-hand manner while waving his hand dismissively before giving H8er a look.]_ No problem at all. He does good electrician work. He also does neck massages on the side. I may pick up that trade soon, I hear business is booming.

R5-H8: Show your wife your knowledge on the electrical trade! Tell her what kind of ground conductor is attached to the disconnect switch.

Zanka: We never had to take...written tests. I learned how to do it by using my hands. I think it's copper. I could tell you if it was in front of me.

R5-H8: Then what is the most frequent used wire size for interior wiring?

Zanka: The one that works.

R5-H8: Can direct current change direction?

Zanka: It wouldn't be called a current if it were static.

R5-H8: _[turns his head to the female jawa.]_ He's failed my test, I calculate he's never done any professional electrical work. My scanners detect heart rate signatures typical of someone who is lying.

Meeka: I could have told you that with my race's ability to detect pheromones. That, and it seems as though he is always hiding something. Always. _Something._ _[She gave Zanka a pointed look.]_

R5-H8: _[He looks at Zanka.]_ The jig is up jawa, we better confess to her. Hand over your datapad Mrs. Jawa and I will download everything in detail.

 _[Meeka gave the datapad to H8er, keeping her gaze trained on Zanka.]_

Meeka: What happened to the jawa I married, who was fun, who always talked and made me laugh?

 _[H8er held onto the datapad and connected into the system. Once inside, he was able to hack into the Union mainframe and downloaded Meek's password and credentials into his data core on a temporary drive. He also created fake files regarding an old Ithorian on Dathomir named 'Mr. Zarkaani', who he made an exotic club owner, Zanka being employed as a pole dancer. He finished and cleaned any trace of himself accessing Union files.]_

R5-H8: Mrs. Jawa, I have uploaded all the files you need. Regretfully your husband is ashamed of the life he lives. He's a failure.

 _[Meeka looked over the datapad then back at her husband. She said nothing for several moments.]_

Meeka: _[She speaks softly.]_ If you needed money, you could have told me. You didn't have to take jobs like that.

R5-H8: Our credits are low Mrs. Jawa. _[H8er prints out a fake bank statement, showing an account of negative 800 credits.]_ You should see his ship, it's even worse! Depression forced the jawa to ram the ship into the ground on Korriban!

 _[Meeka didn't even question why Zanka was on Korriban, she simply wrapped her arms around him, letting out an anguished cry. Zanka simply stood there, eventually settling to raise his arms and give an awkward attempt at a comforting pat. He didn't know how to respond.]_

Meeka: I've told you before, I can support us both. You don't have to make as much money, if only you attempt something instead of lazing about. Pick something you enjoy.

R5-H8: _[says in a low mutter]_ Other than ionizing me in the cargo bay and killing sentients

Meeka: _[She only caught the second half. She dropped her hug from Zanka and turned to the droid.]_ Sentients? What?

R5-H8: _[He tried battling his direct orders from Master and do something that would crush the jawa beyond any redemption, but he couldn't.]_ I apologize for my malfunctioning vocabulator Mrs. Jawa, I was attempting to use "slang". Mr. Jawa "kills" at the exotic club. He's quite a fan favorite.

Meeka: _[muttering]_ I'm going to pretend it's filled with half of our planet's female jawa population. I do not want to know what sort of people frequent that place.

R5-H8: I've been told from Master he's killed some hooded men and Nightsisters.

Meeka: Just...leave that place, Zanka. Get a job as a mechanic or a welder. Not...not that.

Zanka: _[He was too tired to say anything else.]_ Yes Meeka.

R5-H8: _[He let out another sound resonating a laugh.]_ Tell Mrs. Jawa you love her so we can leave and report to Master what has transpired here.

Zanka: I love you, Meeka.

 _[The two embrace one another.]_

Meeka: I love you too, Zanka. _[Her voice takes on a pleading tone.]_ No more lies, _please._

Zanka: No more.

Meeka _: [She nodded.]_ Stay safe. Leave that job soon. I'll wire you some credits later today. I have to go finish up some paperwork, I'll call you after work.

 _[With that, she went back into the Bureau's building leaving Zanka and H8er alone. They waited for the shuttle together and boarded it in silence. H8er was too busy shuffling through the extensive amount of data he had taken from the datapad, and Zanka was too busy thinking about what had just happened. He almost never had a problem lying to others—not even when he was with Jaden. Meeka was usually cold, but she had her moments of caring. That was what he liked about her. She was able to still care at a moment's notice. He didn't like that aspect of her now. Lying to her left a sour taste in his mouth, one that was worse than his usual meal of hubba gourd. A small voice in the back of his mind told him it was wrong—that she was his wife. That she should know everything about him as he did about her. Despite being 'caught' in a lie, she had still cared about him in a heartbeat. He silenced the oncoming guilt. He loved her. Lying to her was necessary. It was when he met her, it still was now, and it would be for the unforeseeable future. The shuttle stopped and the two got out, making their way to the elevator to the port the ship was docked at.]_

R5-H8: I got the data on a temporary drive. If you try ionizing me there is an 86% chance the data will be fried. I will give Master what is necessary and release the rest in increments.

Zanka: _[He stared at the droid for a moment.]_ Fine.

 _[H8er wanted to rub it in a little more and tell Zanka that he had done well and saved the day, but he didn't. His main objective was to return the data to Master, and for whatever reason he couldn't understand, something in his behavior core asserted that now was not the time to pester the jawa any further.]_


	8. Chapter 8

—/ Chapter 8 /—

 _ **Long Ago Junk -**_ **Coruscant Space**

 _[The 'Long Ago Junk' floated just beyond Coruscant's atmosphere. Inside, Myles, Arran, and Zanka are seated around a wobbly metal table in a makeshift conference room. H8er stands next to them, inputting the codes he found into a holoterminal, displaying the Union mainframe on the screen.]_

Arran: Begin access to the Union Mainframe, H8er.

R5-H8: Yes, Master. Connecting.

Arran: Did Meeka suspect anything, Nk'ik?

Zanka: Any suspicions she had were quickly _[he took a pause, choosing his wording carefully, giving the droid a neutral look]_ averted by H8er.

 _[The droid said nothing in response. He turns his head and gave the jawa a quick look, before turning back to the holoterminal and gaining access into the Union mainframe. The screen flashed and opened up an interface that Arran recognized all too well. It brought a small smirk on his face.]_

Arran: Good. We now have access to the most inclusive security system in the Galaxy. The hard part will be tracking down someone who doesn't want to be found. Ideas?

Myles: Who are we looking for?

Arran: You've met her before Myles. We're looking for Azura Vahn. She's a Sith and at one point a suspected threat to the Union. I was invited to meet with her and we made a truce. The Union wouldn't interfere with her business if she agreed to leave the Jedi alone.

 _[Myles scoffed at the mention of the Jedi and crossed his arms.]_

Zanka: Where did you meet her last?

Arran: She had found refuge in an old Massassi temple on Yavin IV. I doubt she would still be there. That's when I made the truce… _[Arran thought about the encounter for a little while. His eyes grew wide when he remembered what he had done before he left.]_ On the way out I ordered Myles to change the transponder codes on her ship, that way I could track her if I needed to. If she's using the same ship, perhaps we can track her that way.

Zanka: Oh, yeah. That temple. I blew it up.

Arran: Blew it up? Why?

Zanka: Azura took Adem. Jaden went with another Jedi Master to rescue him. I followed in my own ship. She fought with Jaden and a few other Jedi. I thought it'd be a good idea to blow up the temple with her in it.

Arran: _[Looks a bit angry and upset.]_ I'm glad to hear she betrayed our truce then. Well, we can mark that temple off of the possible places she would be at.

Myles: Back on topic—we could try tracking those transponder codes then. They're our best chance. 

Arran: _[nods]_ H8er, search for traces for the transponder code: 29872-47-2-244-24824.

Myles: How can you remember that? This was several months ago.

Arran: I remember because I chose the numbers specifically; they have a special meaning.

R5-H8: I know what they mean, Master.

Arran: Say nothing, H8er. That is an order.

R5-H8: Transponder Id: 29872-47-2-244-24824 — Registered Name: Azura Vahn — Ship name: _Serpentine_ — Ship class: Escort Shuttle. _Serpentine_ hasn't been spotted for the last month. Last spotted in the Onderon system at a security checkpoint.

Zanka: Where was the checkpoint?

Arran: In major Union-controlled systems we—there is an orbital station that checks in any incoming and outgoing vessels.

Myles: Check the station's records, see if she made contact with Onderon spaceports to ask permission to land.

R5-H8: Checking...No. _Serpentine_ never entered Onderon space—Or at least there is no record.

Arran: It doesn't make sense. Why would Azura be in the Onderon system anyway?

Myles: Why wouldn't she be?

Arran: Azura doesn't deal with...people.

R5-H8: _[makes a happy whirring noise.]_ I like her already Master.

Arran: You won't like her if she conjures some dark magic and turns you inside out.

R5-H8: _[rocks excitedly.]_ Death might come closer than planned!

Zanka: She entered the Onderon system but not Onderon space. What other places are in the system?

R5-H8: The Onderon system contains the planet of Onderon, and the planet's moon, Dxun. There are three other moons of little significance.

Arran: Of course. Dxun is a planet strong in the Dark Side. The Tomb of Freedon Nadd is told to be there. This doesn't explain why there have been no traces of her for a month though.

Zanka: She could be staying there due to the old temple being destroyed.

Myles: It's our only lead, and our best shot at finding her.

Arran: Nk'ik, set course for Dxun. It's time we find Azura Vahn.

 **Onderon System - Dxun**

 _[The 'Long Ago Junk' entered Dxun space. Almost immediately they were met with heavy wind resistance and harsh climate change. If they had any speculation as to why Azura Vahn's ship hadn't been seen in a month, they now knew. Zanka Nk'ik gripped hard on the yoke as the ship was thrashed about. Zanka narrowly missed crashing into the treetops of the jungle below them, and jerked hard upward on the wheel when fog cleared and revealed the hull of a crashed capital ship. Arran sat beside Zanka on the couch and gripped the column in front of them. He bounced in his seat at the turbulence. H8er was rolling around behind them, trying to plant himself firmly on the ground.]_

R5-H8: Master, the signal is faint, but I am making contact with _Serpentine's_ computer. Sending the coordinates to the main console now.

 _[The console in front of Zanka lit up, revealing the location of 'Serpentine' only a few klicks northeast of their position.]_

Zanka: _[muttering]_ Hold on. I'm going in.

 _[Zanka steadily flew the ship as best he could near 'Serpentine's' coordinates and landed in a clearing large enough for the ship a quarter of a mile away. The ship landed harshly, one side of the ship sinking several feet before stopping. Arran could feel the Dark Side of the planet already. It was teeming with it, almost like Korriban, but this was more alive. The vast number of creatures on the planet added to it; they feeding off of it and contributed to its strength. He unbuckled himself and head on over to the loading ramp. Arran pushed the button that lowers the ramp with the side of his fist. It lowered and Arran head down. He took a few moments to look around, feeling extensively the area around them. He sensed danger.]_

Arran: Nk'ik, H8er, you're with me. Myles, stay here and protect the ship. Shoot anything that comes within eyesight that isn't us.

 _[Myles nodded and gave Arran a salute before heading inside of his small room to grab the necessary equipment. Arran raised his hood and started to walk towards Azura's ship after Zanka and H8er joined in at the base of the ramp.]_

Arran: H8er, keep your scans going. Let me know if you detect any comm interference or electronic signatures. I don't want to step into a trap.

 _[As Zanka stood waiting for Arran, he noted the familiar lump in his boot. He had missed the feeling of the lightsaber, even if it was only for a brief time. He noted that Dxun felt different from Dathomir and Korriban. It felt like how Dathomir did in that one moment—it felt powerful. Was this what Arran meant by the Dark Side calling out to him? It seemed as though it would be easy to lose oneself in this feeling, make mistakes and get oneself killed._

 _The trio walked across the jungle floor, passing through a thicket until they could see 'Serpentine' in front of them.]_

Arran: Hold. H8er, scan the area thoroughly. Make sure there are no mines or traps we should know about.

R5-H8: Scan complete Master. The ship is in severe damage. There are no mechanical devices around, however the life signatures on this planet are so exuberant, I can't detect if there is anyone or anything on the ship itself.

Zanka: What a waste of a good ship.

Arran: _[he trusts H8ers word and starts the small trek toward the ship, walking over a falling log and trudging through a small marsh.]_ Sadly it still looks more flyable than yours.

R5-H8: The computer is easier to communicate with.

Zanka: Ever thought it might be easier to ram yourself into it?

Arran: _[he stops when he hears some movement near them, but continues when it seems to cease.]_ This isn't the time for small bickering. H8er, is there anything on _Serpentine's_ computer that suggests where Azura might have gone?

R5-H8: Negative. _Serpentine_ crashed a month ago and has been here since. The damage taken is suggestive but it is having troubles reading exactly what's wrong.

Arran: _[when the trio approached the ship, Arran lowered his head inside to have a quick look.]_ Nk'ik, be on your guard. I'm going to need your ship expertise to assess a damage report. Maybe there is something here we can salvage.

R5-H8: _[boards the ship and looks around, scanning the area.]_ Master had better be using the word 'expertise' loosely.

Zanka: Careful H8er, you never know what could be lurking on these crashed ships. There could be a tribe of inbred jawas.

Arran: _[he had already left the main area. Even after a month of inservice, sparks flickered out of loose wiring. He entered a storage compartment and searched around durasteel containers.]_ Maybe the Sith witch has some relics lying around somewhere. _[Calls out.]_ H8er, have you accessed the mainframe yet?

R5-H8: Negative. Mainframe ports are damaged. I'd wager _Serpentine_ has no useful information anyway.

Zanka: I'm going to go check out the engine room. _[He walked down a hallway and entered the engine room.]_

 _[The engine room was dark and humid. There was a slight humming sound, but it was dismal and faint. As the jawa entered the room, his feet splashed against a liquid on the metal floor. He went to take a step further but noticed the stickiness of the liquid. He looked down at it and thought it was blood before noticing a large thick vine in front of his foot. His gaze traveled along the vine and noticed there were more and more of varying thickness. They traveled throughout the walls, overlapping one another. The sound of dripping suddenly diverted his attention. A drop hit the floor in front of him, rippling into the already forming pool. Several more dropped in varying spots around him before a large one dropped on top of his head. It was heavy and sticky. He looked up. An enormous plant was attached to the ceiling. It had large colorful petals around what appeared to be a mouth, complete with large pointed teeth and a thick sloshing tongue. A tendril shot out from the depths seen just beyond the tongue and grabbed the jawa by the throat. He attempted to say 'great' but only a gurgling sound erupted from his throat as the tendril rapidly pulled him into the gaping maw.]_

Arran: _[he was still busy searching the cylinders for any Sith artifacts that he knew Azura would not have left in the Temple. So far, not so good. He heard a sudden sound emanating from the engine room and called out.]_ Nk'ik? _[he peeked out of the room but then searched the crates some more.]_ H8er, go see if Nk'ik needs help.

R5-H8: _[the droid reluctantly followed orders and slowly rolled into the engine room. He turned on his small flashlight and looked around. He saw nothing. He even scanned the area for the jawa but there was no sign of him.]_ jawa, if you are hiding with your insufferable blaster I will force Master to terminate you. _[When there was no response the droid looked around the room again. He turned around to report to Arran when a tendril shot outward and grabbed him. He let out a wailing screech before there was silence._

 _Zanka looked at H8er as the two were in the confines of the plant.]_

Zanka: Nice of you to drop by.

R5-H8: I think this classifies as us 'hanging' around.

Zanka: We should hang out more like this. It's nice. Want to play sabacc?

R5-H8: Species: Crasna, carnivorous plant from Dxun. The plant releases a poisonous gas that puts its prey to sleep for digestion to occur. Use your lightstick soon or you'll slowly die and I'll be trapped in here with your remains forever.

Zanka: Only if you say that the deal regarding the ionization blaster is void.

R5-H8: You would risk your life and important data from female jawa's datapad just so you can ionize me?

Zanka: I don't have to explain myself to you. Agree or be trapped here forever.

R5-H8: I can wait. Master will save me eventually. Sleep tight jawa.

Zanka: That's assuming that you are worth anything to him. Everything eventually dies—except you.

 __R5-H8: _[A small speaker comes from the top of his hull, it starts to quietly play a lullaby.]_ I'll even help the plant digest you. _[Tries to sing with the lullaby.]_ Sleep tight, say goodnight. Go to sleep little sand dweller 

_[Fumes had since begun erupting from the walls engulfing the two. Zanka began to feel drowsy.]_

Zanka: I'll...cut off your legs later. _[He activated his lightsaber and plunged it into the side of the plant and sliced it.]_

R5-H8: _[the speaker goes back inside of the droid as Zanka starts to cut the plant.]_ Jawa, you need to cut in key locations or—

 _[The plant lets out a screech as the two fell to the floor. The two are expelled onto the floor before the plant's remains began to rain on the two. Both are covered in a sticky, dark goop. Zanka hit the ground with a thud, H8er falling on top of him.]_

R5-H8: I was worried you would carelessly cut your way through the plant and damage my core from the fall. jawas have a use after all.

Zanka: I am this close to electrocuting you—

 _[H8er extending himself upright and bounced himself on the jawa's soft body a few times before hopping off and quickly wheeling himself behind Arran._

 _Zanka uprighted himself and looked at the hyperdrive. Despite being covered in the plant's remains, it was definitely beyond repair. He walked back to Arran, leaving a trail of filth in his wake. There was a constant dripping from his hood and the sleeves of his robe.]_

Zanka: I'm done here.

Arran: _[doesn't even look at Zanka, he smirks from behind his hood.]_ Have fun?

R5-H8: My behavior core does not allow me to feel 'fun', but I found myself not counting down to the moment where I wouldn't have to be in the same room as the jawa.

Zanka: Great.

Arran: Next time feel out with the Force or search a room thoroughly before blindly walking in.

 _[Zanka nods.]_

Arran: Just because I'm on the ship, don't assume everything is alright. Every moment there is a chance of dying. People lie and deceive, don't trust people based solely on their presence. Trust only in yourself.

Zanka: Then I'll always act as though I'm on my own.

R5-H8: There is a 99.9% chance you are the only jawa on this planet. You are alone.

Zanka: I was alone on Tatooine too.

Arran: Get used to it. _[he finished looking through the containers and looked disappointed.]_ Anything on this ship that's salvageable for the ' _Long Ago Junk'_?

Zanka: I already was used to it. There's nothing we can use. The ship should be sold for scrap.

R5-H8: _[wheels around Arran, running over the jawa's foot as he does.]_ The jawa always finds a way to sell something broken.

Arran: _[grabs the back of Zanka's collar as he leaves the room.]_ Let the droid go. We need to find Azura. Come, there's nothing else for us on this ship.

Zanka: I wasn't going after him. He's a lost cause.

 _[The trio exited the ship and looked every which way for the Tomb of Freedon Nadd. Arran could feel the strong Dark Side presence the temple was releasing several miles away just west of them. He almost took a few steps in the right direction, but he hesitated. This would be another learning experience for Zanka.]_

Arran: H8er, scan for the temple. Search for high energy readings.

R5-H8: Master, I've located one—

Arran: No, keep that thought. This is your chance Nk'ik. You've felt the Dark Side, you feel it now inside of you. Reach outward and search for where it is leading you. Feel the power the tomb is releasing, feel it calling out to you.

 _[Zanka reached out with the Force and searched for the feeling that seemed ever-present on the planet. He assumed that the Temple would be similar but more potent in form. He closed his eyes and focused further.]_

Arran: Close your eyes, and when you are ready, point in the right direction. If you choose poorly, H8er will zap you.

 _[Zanka was close to retorting but thought better of it—the last time had gone poorly. He concentrated a moment before sensing what felt like a large concentration of power. It felt enticing. He pointed in that direction.]_

Arran: _[nodded and let out a small smile.]_ Good. You've come a long way since you left the Temple. Let's go.

 _[Zanka said nothing but nodded his head. He thought on that. Since he had left the Jedi, he had come a long way. Arran had said Jaden's training meant nothing and while he agreed—it was something else to understand it first-hand. Gone were the days of writing pointless essays or running laps. Now it was onto things that actually helped him._

 _They started walking along a worn path. H8er was disappointed he did not get a chance to zap Zanka. His head was lowered as he followed the two along. He decided to zap Zanka anyway as the jawa stepped over a large jutted root from the ground. Zanka looked behind him and gave H8er a glare but didn't act on it. Arran and Zanka walked in silence while H8er had begun to hum the theme song to 'Hush-A-Bye jawa'. As they walked, one of them occasionally had to deal with the ever-creeping jungle. A branch snagging on Zanka's hood, a vine tripping Arran, H8er's wheels going over a large rock laid into the ground and sending him flying. The jungle was annoying on its best day._

 _Arran decided to break the silence.]_

Arran: How do you think she will be when we find her?

Zanka: I can't see future like the Nightsisters are able to. It's impossible to know. But most likely she's still a twi'lek and still purple.

Arran: If I wanted to talk with a wall I'd have sent a comm message to Myles. You met Azura, do you think she'll be able to be trusted?

Zanka: She likes to worm into people's heads and mess with them. She uses poison. She's a massive bitch, always scheming, always having a motive.

Arran: She is no better of a person than I. Jaden has probably told you a bit about what I've done.

Zanka: Start listing it then, we have a long walk to temple.

Arran: I'm not here to gloat my achievements and tell you how I've defeated the Jedi countless times. Keep your senses about you Nk'ik, Dxun is crawling with creatures that would not think twice to end your life. They feed off of the Dark Side, what does that make us?

Zanka: Food.

Arran: I try not to think on the past and what I've done Nk'ik. I'm not proud of a lot of it. I've done more damage to my brother than he deserves. If you wish to know all the bad I've done, you should have stayed at the Temple and asked Jaden, or read the archives. I'm sure there's an extensive file on me there.

Zanka: I don't have the luxury of going back now. Got a story about you and Jaden at least?

Arran: _[sighs and clears his throat.]_ Let's see...There was once a time where Jaden had found out my secret location. He thought he was clever when he ambushed me. He made the mistake of bringing his love, Callista, with him. I used that against him. Jaden lost that day, carrying Callista in his arms. She left the Jedi shortly after. He's resented me ever since.

Zanka: That explains the lectures he used to give me about you. That, and the other things you did.

Arran: Oh yeah? And what did he say?

Zanka: He said you weren't to be trusted, that you killed lots of people. He said listening to you would bring bad things to me. He was probably upset about use of fire to blow up Azura's temple while he was still inside. I did that right after you told me about usefulness of fire.

Arran: _[chuckles.]_ I take it he wasn't too happy with you after that.

Zanka: No, he said it was irresponsible and could have hurt him and Adem. I figured if they were as good as they thought they would have gotten out. The objective was to take out Azura at the time.

Arran: Your logic wasn't flawed, but your timing and execution perhaps was.

Zanka: What do you think would have been better to do?

Arran: I once conjured a primitive thought bomb outside of the Jedi Temple. It takes skill and an extreme amount of power. It's an old Sith skill that requires the combined minds of several powerful Sith. I was able to do it on my own. It was primitive but it still would have blown the Temple to pieces. I say 'would' because Khaar found a way to disable it before it was ready to be fired. I made careful planning with it though. I attacked the Temple to keep the Jedi busy and I was prepared to blow myself up to kill them—that's how foolish I was. _[He snarled thinking about his own idiocracy.]_

Zanka: _[He nodded as he listened.]_ I get what you mean about execution. The more experience, the better plans come together.

 _ **Long Ago Junk**_ **\- Dxun**

 _[Myles checked the sensors of the ship for the upteenth time before collapsing on the couch. It didn't make sense—why they were here, why he had to stay behind, any of it. He had always been the one to go with Arran, even in his days as Militus. It seemed as though those days had long since gone, he now paraded about with a Jedi jawa._

 _He couldn't understand it. They were supposed to kill Jedi, it was what they—the Shadows, had been trained to do, what he had been trained to do. Not only did Arran take a Jedi to train but he ordered the rest of the Shadow to watch over the remaining Jedi. He had to obey orders, it was what had been ingrained in him since the very beginning of his life, to obey the orders of your superior. Arran's orders however...they went against the very fiber of his being. Myles was questioning his place. What was worse, he was now stranded on a jungle planet away from his Shadow, alone with nothing but his thoughts, just to locate a Sith. That didn't sit well with him. The young militant moved away from the cockpit and the couch, placed his helmet on his head and grabbed his rifle. The loading ramp lowered and he stepped out, scanning the area with thermal optics. Clear. Myles plopped himself down on the loading ramp, unsheathing the dormant blade from his back. He traced his hand along the side, feeling the notches from the last lightsaber encounter he had. It felt like ages ago. The Sith had tracked them down on a remote planet, nearly shooting the 'Horizon' out of the sky. Arran led them around whilst Myles and the Shadow set up a trap in several old ruins. The engines took a bit of damage and Arran was forced to land a failing ship. When the ship's ramp came down, the Shadow were quickly upon the Sith. They had not anticipated them. The Shadow's ability to mask themselves in the Force made them undetectable to Force-sensitives. Many had fallen to their assassinations in the past. Myles had thought that those days were all but over, yet Arran was now protecting the Jedi. It showed that he needed Myles less and less. Yet he recruited others to his cause—others that went against everything Arran had taught him. It made him grit his teeth behind his helmet._

 _Myles stood up from the loading ramp and again scanned the area.]_

 **Jungle Floor - Dxun**

 _[After some more walking the three came across a cave buried deep into a nearby mountain. Inside appeared the remains of an inhabited campground_ _long since used, strewn with the bodies of the once inhabitants around a burnt out fire pit. Close inspection of the corpses reveals scars of seared flesh mimicking lightsaber wounds, no doubt the work of Azura; the camp itself ransacked of all useful supplies._

 _Arran walked around the campsite and kicked the turned over bodies rightside up with his boot, noticing the lightsaber marks across their chests and throats. They were on the right track.]_

Arran: Azura went this way, we will too.

R5-H8: Master, this body has been eaten by something recently, look at the fresh bite marks.

 _[Arran looked over at the body in front of H8er and nodded.]_

Arran: We'll be careful then.

Zanka: I'm not surprised by the body being eaten. The jungle is full of hungry animals.

Arran: It's fresh, which means whatever animal it was is still nearby. We'll be cautious when we continue our way through the cave.

 _[The trio continued their way through the cave, the light becoming dimmer all the while. There was the constant feeling of being watched, something always just out of the corner of their eye. Even the droid felt it. Arran could have sworn that at one point he saw a pair of luminous eyes to the side but just as quickly as he thought he had seen it, they vanished. It was all the more unnerving as his eyes had adjusted to the darkness, there was nothing there. Zanka had not fared much better. He felt as though he should not have had any problems—his species was able to see in the dark—yet it was as though the cave was playing tricks on them. Just when a sense of normalcy seemed as though it would come, it was replaced by something bizarre.]_

Zanka: _[mutters]_ I sense we're surrounded.

Arran: _[cautious]_ I sense it too. _[He unclips his lightsaber and holds it tightly in his hand, igniting it and using it as a light source in front of them, the red hue illuminating a small section of the cave, however he still could not see anything past the light his blade was emitting.]_

R5-H8: _[He bumped into something.]_ Move out of my way, jawa. _[Moving forward, he bumped into again.]_ jawa, move or I will electrocute you. _[He was met with a snarl as a Maalraas materialized in front of him, saliva dripping from its fangs. A small speaker emerged from the top of H8er's head. It played out a sound clip of a young girl screaming. Arran and Zanka turned around to see what was happening. As they did so, several Maalraas appeared behind them, eyes shining from the glow of Arran's lightsaber.]_

R5-H8: I am taking no chances on the off-chance that you are as easily electrocuted as a normal organic being. _[He extended an arm and sent a shock of electricity towards the maalraas. The maalraas let out a screech and collapsed on the ground whereupon H8er rolled over its thin neck.]_

 _[Arran went to turn around to face the front but found himself face to face with a larger maalraas that had come from behind. Not wasting a split second he grabbed it by the neck and took it in a chokehold, eventually twisting its neck to the point of breaking it._

 _Zanka had since turned around and quickly pulled the lightsaber from his boot with the Force. He jump off the ground, leaping at two maalraas coming toward him. He ignited his blade mid flight and came down on them, jabbing one through the throat and the other across the stomach. Landing on the ground, the jawa felt the pain in his ribs, but it wasn't as severe due to the wrapping he had done and time spent healing himself._

R5-H8: [ _had mustered some courage and let a triumphant battle song play through his speaker as he rushed another maalraas, his metal frame crashing against the silhouetted creature. The cat let out a shriek and clenched its jaw around the droids electric arm before he could zap it.]_ I've made a mistake!

 _[Arran charged the maalraas and viciously slashed downward on its head, the sheer force of the attack sending the slain animal rolling across the cave floor. The remaining maalraas that remained hidden throughout the conflict had left. The three found the rest of their journey throughout the cave much easier._

 _The path eventually lead them to a clearing at which stood the massive temple of some forgotten Sith Lord. The presence of the Dark Side was strong here, more-so than when they had landed on the planet.]_

Arran: _[reaches down and grabs his comm unit]_ Myles, we've reached the tomb. We've encountered minor resistance from locals.

Myles: Nothing is showing up on the sensors, though I doubt they are functioning properly.

Arran: Defend the ship with your life. I don't want to be stranded here.

Myles: Understood. Myles out.

Arran: _[his comm unit turned off with an electronic beeping noise.]_ The Dark Side is getting stronger. It feels more amplified than it did when we were at Azura's ship.

Zanka: Yeah. It feels powerful. It seems as though it'd be easy to get lost in it.

Arran: You've had experiences getting lost in it already.

Zanka: I know. I meant if I wasn't keeping an eye out for that.

Arran: _[pointing at the tomb.]_ There lies a classic example of a man who got "lost in it." Freedon Nadd was a cocky son of a bitch that believed he was the greatest thing to have ever lived. Look how far it got him.

Zanka: So your point is that everyone dies, and that you shouldn't think you're the greatest thing to have ever walked the Galaxy?

Arran: You were cocky once, and then Myles gave you a beating. Freedon Nadd's legacy was short lived. Most of his great achievements came from after death where he corrupted people with cryptic messages. That's not much of a legacy in my opinion. If he appears to me and gives me a message, I'll tell him where to shove it.

Zanka: What is a good legacy to leave behind then?

Arran: Think for yourself Nk'ik, that's not for me or anyone else to decide. You choose your own legacy. Mine? I don't even care about one anymore. Once we defeat the Sith I'll retire to someplace quiet.

 _[Zanka nodded. He wasn't sure what he wanted to do after defeating the Sith. Going back to the Jedi seemed out of the question. They clashed too much. He didn't want a quiet life of tinkering on machines or selling them, that was why he left Tatooine.]_

R5-H8: Master, I'm detecting life forms outside of the temple, but they are stationary. It seems they are guarding the temple.

 _[When the trio walked further along the path and came to a stone walkway leading to the Tomb of Freedon Nadd, there was a line of zakkegs. As they came closer, Arran expected them to attack, but they remained still and peaceful in nature. He reached out to the Force and could feel Azura's presence within them, hearing fragments of her thoughts in their minds.]_

Arran: _[adamant]_ Azura is here.

Zanka: A row of peaceful zakkegs isn't suspicious at all.

Arran: Reach out with the Force, but try not to anger them. Azura has them under her control.

 _[Zanka reached out with the Force towards the zakkeg. He felt Azura. It brought back memories of when he was with the Jedi and what he had done to her temple. He gave a snort in amusement. The zakkegs started to shake and become uneasy. Arran tried pulling on Zanka's collar to bring him back but it was too late.]_

Arran: Nk'ik, what have you done?

Zanka: I was reaching out to the zakkeg and remembering happier times of blowing up a temple.

Arran: You're doing a hell of a job. _[He ignited his lightsaber and plunged it into the head of the zakkeg nearest to them, it snorted and tried shaking Arran's grasp of the lightsaber free, but Arran pushed it in deeper. The zakkeg let out a painful scream before falling over.]_

 _[Another zakkeg charged at Zanka who threw himself flat on the ground to avoid being gorged. The zakkeg stopped as it was on top of Zanka, effectively pinning him under its weight. Zanka looked up as the zakkeg's tried to clamp its jaws on Zanka's head. Zanka reached out for the familiar-becoming feeling of power and anger and channelled it through his hands, sending it into the zakkeg from below. The beast began to furiously stomp in an effort to kill the jawa below it that was causing it pain. Zanka rolled out from underneath it. Standing up, Zanka again channeled lightning through his hands at the zakkeg._

 _A zakkeg from behind Zanka started to charge him after hearing the painful cries of his electrified ally. Arran had thrust his lightsaber into the neck of a beast that had stood up on its back legs to roar at him and turned to see the charging zakkeg coming to flank Zanka. Arran had reached out with the force and stopped the zakkeg in its place. He lifted the beast off of the ground and sent it flying towards a statue of Freedon Nadd. It crashed into the ancient stone statue and sent it crumbling down. Large pieces of stone had fallen and crushed other zakkegs in the area. The zakkeg under Zanka's lightning continued to howl in pain until it gave a final cry before slumping to the ground, dead. The lightning died down from Zanka's hands._

 _With the zakkegs dead, H8er wheels from behind a large bounder, looking around and rolling around the dead carcasses.]_

R5-H8: _[a sigh-like sound emits from him]_ Once again, I am forced to carry you two useless lumps of carbon-based life. I do all the effort here while you just stay and watch.

Arran: _[scoffs and reluctantly follows H8er to the Temple entrance]_ If you shook any harder behind that rock your bolts would've unscrew themselves.

R5-H8: That would be a dream come true. A shame I can't dream. _[The droid's voice carried off albeit with some confusion.]_

 _[Zanka followed the two into the tomb in silence. The inside was old, decaying, and very dark, but the Dark Side energy they felt was severe, enough to bring most untrained users to their knees. Arran stood firmly through the halls, H8er followed without any trouble. Zanka had a brief moment of temptation but pushed the feeling aside. He liked the idea of feeling powerful, he wasn't so keen on losing himself in the process.]_

Arran: No sign of Nadd anywhere, that's a good sign.

Zanka: Here I thought I'd get to cut down another obelisk in front of a Force ghost.

Arran: Cut away if you find an obelisk you like. Nadd won't be needing it anymore.

Zanka: I'll get you a matching one for your room. That, or I'll put it next to Tuzmek's dangling leg on the dashboard.

R5-H8: The leg is unsanitary, just like the rest of your ship.

Zanka: The leg is preserved.

 _[Arran cut them off by giving a slight scowl and raising his hand before anymore chatter could happen as they walked down a flight of steps into the room where Freedon Nadd's final resting place was kept. Here, the trio spotted a purple female twi'lek knelt down on the ground meditating in front of the sarcophagus that had been opened so many times due to grave robbing. The lid was cracked at the center and lay on the floor._

 _Azura didn't open her eyes as the trio approached her in meditation. She was seemingly deep in concentration. The twi'lek was old, but her physical appearance did not reveal that. Her appearance was that of a young twi'lek. Intricate black tribal tattoos were scattered around her body, prominently displayed around her eyes and forehead but also seen along her thigh and bits on her stomach. She wore a headpiece. It was a black leather headband that encircled her head with a hole on each side, of which each lekku went through. Black sleeves attached to leather pauldrons covered most of her arms, with brown wraps tying them down. On her hands and wrists were armguards with a crescent shape etched in gold on the tops of them. Brown boots covered her legs and stopped midway up her thighs, with a traditional black breechcloth supported by a belt hanging off of her waist. She wore a black sleeveless v-neck with a high-rise collar. There was gold trimming along the collar's edges, adorning a design Arran did not recognize. She reached out with her hand to stroke a tamed Maalraas that lay beside her, before finally breaking the long silence.]_

Azura: I did not expect you to come here Arran, I see you brought friends.

Arran: _[He finishes walking down the stone steps and stops in front of the meditating twi'lek.]_ I'm calling upon your assistance. Much has happened in your absence.

Azura: _[Opens her eyes looking straight up at Arran engaged with a sly smile]_ You must be desperate or foolish if you are asking me for help Mr. Zarkaine. You have me intrigued and all ears.

R5-H8: Correction. Female twi'leks do not possess ears. Only the males of your species have anything that remotely resembles them. Your metaphor, just like you having ears, is false.

Azura: _[Turns her head scowling while rolling her eyes at the newly seen droid companion accompanying Arran]_ I am regretting your new companions already.

R5-H8: You could make yourself feel happier by destroying me.

Azura: _[Lets out a sarcastic sigh, pouting slightly]_ Aww, but if I did that I wouldn't hear all of your wonderful comments about me would I.

Arran: Nk'ik, wait with H8er outside. Make contact with Myles, let him know we'll be back soon. 

Zanka: I'll stay here.

Azura: I believe you should do as he says Zanka, you always were good at being his little lap dog.

 _[Arran puts his hand to his face and lets out a groan, shaking his head._

 _Zanka stopped the insult that was about to spring from his mouth. He was angry at Azura's words, but it wouldn't do to have a repeat of the incident with Myles. There was a time and a place. He opted for a different approach.]_

Zanka: We came a long way to find her—we should all walk out with her back to the ship.

Arran: We will, I need you two to secure the area. Do as I say Nk'ik.

Zanka: Everything on this moon attacks us on sight. I don't think the area will ever be secure.

Arran: _[glares]_ I first asked as a friend, then I gave a direct order. Now I am getting angry. Do you wish to have another duel so soon after your fight with Myles?

Azura: I could get my pet to chase your pet out if you want. _[Grins deviously]_

Zanka: _[glares at Azura]_ Leave it here, I won't allow it on the ship. _[He leaves with H8er.]_

Arran: _[watches H8er and Zanka head back up the stairs and leave them.]_ He's learning about the Dark Side. It grows in him. But he's becoming blinded like many Sith before him. I'm trying to show him how to not be stupid with it.

Azura: You have a long way to go. _[Gestures in front of her for Arran to take a seat]_

Arran: _[He doesn't take a seat, he crosses his arms.]_ I've been betrayed by the Union and marked a traitor. I've been betrayed by Liz Anean, my wife; I went to save her and was met with a lightsaber through the chest. There is a new threat in this galaxy. I believe they have insurgents in the Union and are puppeteering what I worked hard to create. The Jedi are safe...for now. I'm assembling a team to help me figure out what the Sith are planning and take them out. I saw a vision in the Force, of me, Nk'ik, H8er, Myles, and you. I'm not leaving this temple without you. It's your choice if you come willingly or not.

Azura: _[Is quiet for a few moments, listening to the details given to her and contemplating in stern silence before showing surprise.]_ You are being serious, you had a vision including me helping you?

Arran: _[nods.]_ I wouldn't be here if I didn't.

Azura: _[stands with a nod]_ Then I will join you but on two conditions. _[She pauses, patting the maalraas' head that was still beside her.]_ First I want my own secluded space on the ship.

Arran: And second?

Azura: _[Smiles]_ Access to the shower.

Arran: Done. I'm the only one that uses it anyway. _[Reaches out hand.]_ Welcome aboard.

Azura: That's disgusting, that jawa never uses it? _[Taking his hand she lets him lead her out]_

Arran: No, I worry he doesn't know it even exists…. _[He goes to leave but stops and turns around. Mutters.]_ There's something I need to do… _[He heads over to the sarcophagus of Freedon Nadd and looks inside. The skeletal remains lay largely in tact but all other objects that could have been considered valuable were removed.]_ What do you think of him? Nadd I mean.

Azura: To witness his power on the world even in death cannot compare to his power when he was alive, back then I sensed so much more in him; it is a shame he never used it well.

Arran: Oh really? So you knew him personally then? I knew you were old but...not that old. _[He meanwhile unzips his pants and starts to urinate all over the sarcophagus.]_ He sounds like a fool and a moron. He's accomplished more as a ghost than he did in life. __

Azura:Shall we leave? I have been here long enough and your pet is probably growing impatient.

Arran: _[shakes a couple times and finishes urinating.]_ Dodge the question for another time then. Let's move. _[takes out his comm unit]_ Nk'ik, we're on our way out.

Zanka: _[over the comm unit]_ Great. I got you a present.

 _ **Long Ago Junk**_ **\- Dxun**

 _[H8er barrels through the overgrowth and quickly rolls to the 'Long Ago Junk'. The other party members are not within eyesight.]_

R5-H8: _[screaming]_ Start the ship Myles, start the ship!

Myles: _[He looked up as the droid appeared out of the undergrowth screaming at him.]_ What happened? Where are Lord Zarkaine and the jawa?

R5-H8: No time to explain! Start the ship, we need to go! Too big—too ferocious! Go. Now!

Myles: _[Following the droid up the boarding ramp he ran to the cockpit and jumped over the back of the couch, beginning the engine startup sequences.]_ There is nothing on the sensors, what is out there? _[He opened a comm channel to Arran.]_ Sir, what happened?

Arran: _[comes through the clearing with Azura and Zanka, he reaches for his comm unit.]_ What? Nothing. We're in sight of ship now. Get it ready for launch.

Myles: _[He could now see the trio approaching the ship and let out an annoyed sigh.]_ Defective droid is going to get everyone killed someday.

R5-H8: It's not too late Myles. Leave now, you've been out here on Dxun for too long. The natural gasses of the planet are making you hallucinate—

Myles: That's enough of that. _[Myles crouched down and flipped the power toggle on the droid]_

 _[With a whir, the droid powered itself back on.]_

R5-H8: —we can still make this happen.

Myles: Well if that's the way you want it to go, doesn't take any skin off my back. _[Myles grabs the ionization blaster off of it's rack and shoots the droid several times. The droid's core shakes and falls to the ground, a trail of black smoke seeping through a port.]_

Arran: _[walks up the loading ramp with Zanka and Azura behind him.]_ Myles, I told you to start the ship. What's the delay? _[notices H8er on the ground.]_ What'd you do?

Myles: Nothing that wasn't necessary. _[Offering no further explanation he resumed the startup sequence.]_

 _[Zanka notices H8er on the ground then back at Myles. He could have congratulated the man on figuring out how to handle H8er. He chose to say nothing.]_

Arran: _[With a quick motion of the hand, Arran sent H8er flying into one of the cargo holds. He landed with a loud crashing sound. He turns to Azura.]_ H8er has shown you to your room. It should be spacious enough for you.

Zanka: There's an empty one with a tarp. It should suit your needs.

Azura: _[Stepping inside she looked around the small compact cargo hold taking a meditative position inside.]_ This will be just fine.

Zanka: _[nods as she leaves. He turns to Myles]_ You can leave my cockpit now. I'll handle take-off.

 _[Myles leaves the cockpit, Arran watches him leave to his room as he steps inside of the cockpit.]_

Arran: Nk'ik, I'm going to rest. Expect heavy training when I wake up. We've been slacking.

Zanka: Got it. Where are we setting course for?

Arran: _[turns to leave but is stopped in the hallway.]_ Anywhere far away from here. Surprise me.

Zanka: Alright. By the way, enjoy the surprise in your room.

Arran: _[scowls as he leaves the area and heads to his room. He sees the obelisk from Korriban, which he was expecting, but there was also a new obelisk from Dxun, showing carved depictions of Freedon Nadd.]_ This would look better in the bathroom. _[He shook his head and threw his robe onto his holoterminal. He took time taking off his armor and placing it securely on a durasteel container. Arran left nothing on but his pants and fell face forward onto his bed, falling asleep moments later._

 _[Arran found himself deep in a forest. He was in a brown garb, surrounded by thick trees, scattered boulders, and the sounds of trickling water nearby. He knew he was dreaming, but he felt at peace and decided to go along with it. Arran followed the sounds of the trickling water to a small creek. He bent down, took a sip, and heard someone coming up behind him. Arran reached for his lightsaber, but found none, and instead turned with his fists in front of him. There stood his father, putting up an open palm to stop Arran from hitting him.]_

Arran: Oh, _[scowls.]_ it's just you.

 _[Daveth lowered his hood and crossed his arms. Arran knelt back down to drink more from the creek. Even if he was sleeping, the water was refreshing.]_

Arran: What do you want now?

Daveth: I want to know what you plan on doing. You've brought your companions together, now what?

Arran: We train and get ready for an attack on the Sith.

Daveth: That's it? That's your plan?

Arran: Do you have a better one? _[He got up from the ground now and stood in front of his father. Arran expected to see ridicule on his father's face, but he saw concern instead.]_

Daveth: Why do you do this? Why attack the Sith? You already have plan on leaving to a place like this one. You dream about it even. Why not just leave?

Arran: I've thought about it.

Daveth: Then what is holding you back?

Arran: I've done a lot of wrong in my life father. I promised Drasli I would protect the Jedi when I led the Union, and I plan on keeping that promise even now. I'm fueled by rage for what Liz did to me, but I also have a strong feeling that the Force wants me to do this. I have to defeat the Sith. I owe it to my brother.

Daveth: And what of your companions?

Arran: They will aid me when I need them or die fighting.

Daveth: It's not that simple son. You've trained the jawa to fight like you, you've brought in the soldier you trained to kill Jedi, you've harbored an ancient soul act like an advisor, and don't get me started on the droid…

Arran: _[chuckles.]_ We're not the ideal team, but that's why we will work.

Daveth: They'll only work if you lead them. You accepted Militus back into your life. I'm not condoning your usage of the Dark Side but you are still my son. You know how to lead, your companions will need you.

 _[Arran nodded and kept silent. He has lead before, but those were armies on a grand scale. This was different, and he suspected it would be harder. He meant what he said though. He would keep his promise to Drasli one way or another. Afterward though, he would turn his back on the galaxy and leave.]_

Daveth: You will do well Arran. You have strength and courage. Follow the force. There is more at work here than you are seeing. You have your team, but the plan will not be as simple. Be diligent, use your head. _[He places his hand on Arran's shoulder as he starts to disappear.]_ Give the Sith hell.


	9. Chapter 9

—/ Chapter 9 /—

 _ **Long Ago Junk -**_ **Spira**

 _[Arran woke up in his room. The ship had landed already. He looked at the time to find out he had been asleep for fourteen hours. Arran sat on the edge of the bed, rubbing at his eyes, before throwing his shirt over his shoulder and opening up his bedroom door. There was nobody around, but he could sense their presence nearby. The loading ramp was already down, and when he walked outside, he was met with a sharp glare from the sun. Arran put his hand in front of his face and heard the sounds of water crashing up against the shoreline._

 _In the distance, Arran could see Zanka sitting on the sand in front of the waves, drinking from a large glass bottle. Myles was crouched down at the bottom of the ramp with a hydrospanner working on H8er. Azura could not be seen, but Arran could still feel her presence nearby.]_

Myles: _[deep in concentration working on H8er, but he noticed Arran and looked up.]_ You might want to look into getting a new droid.

Arran: Why? What'd you do?

Myles: Even if it can be fixed it's just going to try to sabotage everything we do again so it can destroy itself.

Arran: He's better than when we first got him. You see that dent in the hull there? _[points to the front of the ship.]_ Droid nose dived into Korriban.

Myles: _[Shakes his head and goes back to his repairs]_ That doesn't exactly help his case. You're lucky it hasn't killed anyone yet.

Arran: He's unique. It's better than having a stagnant droid, I'd say. Get him back and running—but not too soon—let's enjoy the quiet while we can.

Myles: It would be better if it did it's job without risking everyone's lives.

Arran: Not everyone is like you Myles. Keep working on him, I need to train Nk'ik. _[he nods to Myles and walks off toward Zanka, who is still lounging on the beach and drinking from a bottle. He walks over to Zanka and stands next to him, looking out at the rolling waves coming in._

 _Zanka takes a long swig from the bottle. He looks up at Arran and nods before looking back at the waves.]_

Arran: Time for training. How big is this island?

Zanka: It's about ten kilometers straight through.

Arran: Good, finish your drink and run two laps, no stopping.

 _[Zanka got up and dusted his robes off with his free hand. He handed the half-filled bottle to Arran.]_

Zanka: This brings back memories. Enjoy the drink. _[With that, he took off running.]_

Arran: _[he took the drink and sniffed the top. He decided to take the plunge and take a sip of it, the sour taste was great and his sinuses started to swell. He placed the bottle on the sand and growled at Zanka.]_ Pick up your legs Nk'ik! Hustle!

 _[Zanka heard Arran's words and picked up the pace, he ran as hard as he could along the beach. When he became out of sight, he was tempted to slow down and resume a brisk pace, but he took this seriously. This wasn't the Jedi Temple. He had to try now. It was fight or die with Arran._

 _He watched the jawa until he left view. Arran felt Azura through the Force, but she was difficult to locate. It seemed she was still trying to hide herself from him. He walked back to the ship and circled it, finding a tide pool surrounded by a few palm trees. Azura sat at the base of one of the trees meditating. Arran sat down next to her.]_

Arran: Are you always going to distance yourself, witch?

Azura: Given our history, I thought the space I give you guys would put your minds at ease.

Arran: _[sarcasm.]_ Oh look at you, actually caring for other people.

Azura: Hilarious, but if you do go spreading that around it might not end well for you. _[She smiles.]_ Now that we are away from the others, how about we talk seriously?

Arran: _[he wanted to question her threat, but her second statement caught him in agreement. He nodded.]_ Why were you at the Tomb of Freedon Nadd?

Azura: _[Pondered for a brief moment on the question before simply replying.]_ Paying my respects.

Arran: You can't be serious.

Azura: Am I really that easy to read?

Arran: No. You're difficult to read. But I know you to be a cryptic liar.

 __Azura: I needed to be in an environment teeming with the force. Dxun is heavily shrouded in the Dark Side and natural life. It was the perfect place to try.

Arran: To try what?

Azura: I am dying, Arran.

Arran: _[rubs his chin.]_ How so?

Azura: This body I reanimated is beginning to wither and die. It was not meant to be a permanent solution. I knew this but I thought I had more time. It is strange; I have lived much longer than most and yet I feel it is not enough.

Arran: So you went to Dxun in the hopes of salvaging what time you have left by feeding off of the Force?

Azura: Yes, only I can't keep it up all the time; I am trying to preserve what little time I have.

Arran: You aren't of any use on this mission if you're dead.

Azura: Yeah and being dead is not high on my list of things to be yet Arran, but I have to ask, you had a vision of me helping you?

Arran: _[he lets out a deep breath.]_ After Liz betrayed me, Nk'ik took me to Dathomir. We got caught up with some Nightsisters, they showed me a vision, we ended up killing them all. It was a mess. But yes, I saw you in the vision. I was just as surprised as you are now.

Azura: Very surprised...I would of thought I would of felt something through the force about this, but then again it has never guided me well.

Arran: It guides me...one way, or another.

Azura: Looking at the state of the ship, your situation, and your companions, one has to wonder if it truly does.

Arran: Even with the odds stacked against me I manage to find a way. Myles is loyal, H8er only answers to me, Nk'ik is learning to accept the Dark Side without losing himself, and you're...you. I don't expect to control you, but I expect you to follow orders promptly.

Azura: I am not complaining. I could use a bit of excitement before I go, instead of sitting on a cold steel floor until I die.

Arran: That's all you've done so far. Let's face it Azura, I could have killed you many times over if I thought you were a threat to me, or the Jedi. But you are wise in areas of the Dark Side I could never be. I could use you as an advisor, and to help me train Nk'ik. The Dark Side is strong in him, it comes to him naturally. It always has. I felt it when I first met him at the Jedi Temple. He's already managed to learn how to use lightning on his own.

Azura: You want me to train the one that blew up my temple?!

Arran: No, _I'm_ training him. But if he acts foolish or out of line, slap him upside the head. If he comes to you and asks how to perform a certain ability, aid him, but have him do it himself. He's learned more in the time he's been with me then the years he's been with the Jedi. I put him in difficult situations that he manages to excel in. His head doesn't belong in the archives, it belongs in the real world.

Azura: I am not so sure of him myself but _[she sighs.]_ If he comes with questions I will give him answers. He really looks up to you I see.

Arran: I never understood it myself. He's been joined with me at the hip ever since I first met him. Khaar didn't approve, neither did Vallen. Pissing off the Jedi made the venture of training him even more exciting.

Azura: Maybe you should've spent less time on him and more on your own daughter.

Arran: _[he felt a mix of anger and guilt rise, but he let it go.]_ No, she wants nothing to do with me. Distancing myself from her and my son is the best thing I could do for them.

Azura: True, I have seen inside her mind , she really resents you Arran but doesn't know you are her biological father.

Arran: It's better that way. I was never around when she grew up anyway. I'm no more her father than Khaar.

 _[Zanka came into view, running at a fast pace as he sped past them along the beaches edge.]_

Arran: _[calls out.]_ Keep it up Nk'ik! One more lap!

 _[Zanka nods as he runs past.]_

Azura: Hey now, don't push the little guy too hard. _[Standing up she slowly strides off.]_ Good talk Arran.

 _[Arran nods and watches her leave. He picks himself up from the ground and leans on the palm tree, waiting for Zanka to come back around._

 _Azura was heading her way back to the ship when she noticed Myles repairing H8er. She leaned against the loading ramp, watching.]_ Why are you bothering to repair a suicidal droid? _  
_

Myles: Normally I wouldn't, but Lord Zarkaine and the jawa have grown attached to it for some reason.

Azura: Hard to believe anyone would get attached to him.

Myles: Agreed. It tried to abandon the three of you on Dxun, and from what I've heard it's tried to either kill or sabotage them multiple times since they purchased it. I can't figure out why they would agree to take it in the first place.

Azura: Can you at least remove its voice box?

Myles: _[He gestures towards a pile of parts next to the droid.]_ It shorted and fried the circuitry. Until it gets replaced, no talking droid.

Azura: So there can be good news. What do you make of everything that is happening Myles?

Myles: Not my place to say, but if you must know I don't approve of you or the jawa.

Azura: _You_ don't approve of _me_? I can hardly think of anything that I've done wrong. _[she smirks, saying this sarcastically.]_

Myles: You might want to try thinking harder then, however as long as Lord Zarkaine wants you here I won't oppose you.

 _[Myles closes the droid's body and turns it on. Small sparks erupt from where the droid's speaker used to be. Its head whirls around looking between the two of them before the droid powers down again.]_

Myles: Good enough for me.

Azura: _[Ignoring what just transpired, her grin widens]_ You oppose me just by thinking poorly of me. _[Her tone shifts to that of innocence]_ I wonder what will happen when the time comes for us to work together?

Myles: _[stands up and wipes the sand off of his pants.]_ When that times comes I will work with you, but I will be keeping an eye on you.

 _[Once Azura was out of view of the others, she pulled up the sleeves of her blouse to assess the damage done to her body. Her heart skipped a beat as she took in the sight; her blue veins were visible through her dark purple skin. It had begun to lose its lustrous color. She pursed her lips; it seemed that her body's cells were decaying at an unnatural rate._

 _She walked into Arran's cabin, stopping just short of the mirror. Looking into it, she noted her reflection. Her eyes were bloodshot. She grimaced inwardly, another sign that her body had begun to give up on her. She hated sleep, the nightmares were becoming too much for her to bear; seeing her life decaying away before her was too intense. Every moment she stay awake was one more moment she had to live on her own terms. She had used the Force for some time to keep her body going, but even the signs were evident on her face. Fatigue was ever-present._

 _Seeing the physical effects brought up feelings of dread and despair that her calm composure slipped. Her fist met the mirror, shattering it. She mentally chastised herself, she was letting herself become too vulnerable to these emotions. Blood had begun to drip from her hand onto the floor but she found herself unable to care. She was already ill, one cut would not stop what was already happening._

 _Azura quickly regained her composure and exited the room. She made her way to her cargo hold and sat down in a meditative pose where she began to center herself in the Force. As several moments passed, the hot liquid dripping from her hand had begun to heal. Azura felt her companions energy through the Force and began to feed off of it. She let out a deep breath she had not realized she had been holding and began to take comfort in her renewed strength.]_

**Secluded Island** _ **-**_ **Spira**

 _[Zanka had continued his lap yet slowed down upon seeing Arran. He stopped just short of him.]_

Arran: I didn't say to stop running! Run in place!

 _[Zanka begins to run in place at the same pace he had been whilst running laps]_

Arran: Drop!

 _[Zanka dropped to the ground on his stomach. It reminded him of the times he had done it during the Tatooine Civil War when there had been snipers.]_

Arran: Pushups, go! Don't stop until I tell you too.

 _[Zanka placed both of his hands on the sand. They sunk in slightly before he began pushing himself up and down. Arran paced around him and watched his technique, looking for signs of weakness and fatigue. Zanka's strength was proven as he completed eighty pushups by Arran's count.]_

Arran: _[points.]_ Pull-ups on that branch, now!

 _[Zanka sprang up and ran towards the tree. Jumping up, he grabbed the branch and began to do pull-ups. He remembered Adem and his overall laziness, how he sat in a tree the entire day. Back then, Zanka hadn't been much better himself. If you wanted to be better, you had to put in the effort yourself.]_

Arran: _[takes out his comm unit.]_ Myles, man the turret, aim for Nk'ik. Fire at will.

Zanka: What? _[was all he managed to say before shots began firing at him. He let go of the branch, pulling the lightsaber from his boot with the Force. Activating it, he began to deflect the shots._

 _Arran stood a distance away and monitored Zanka's swordsmanship. He waited for a weak spot in his defense and used the Force to hurl a hand sized rock at him._

 _Zanka sensed the incoming projectile, dove to the side out of the rock's way, and resumed deflecting the laser shots aimed at him. The injured ribs were still tender, but he was still able to deflect them, more-so than when he was initially injured. His attention was more divided now. He had to be on the lookout for more attacks from Arran.]_

Arran: Good. _[pulls out his comm unit.]_ Thank you Myles, that will be all. Resume about your business. _[He drew out his own lightsaber, throwing the shirt draped over his shoulder to the side. Arran ignited the crimson blade and walked toward Zanka.]_ Attack me with everything you've got. Don't hold back.

 _[Zanka channeled his anger and launched himself at Arran. He had only one end of his lightsaber activated. He swung the activated end toward Arran's left leg, intent on severing it at the knee._

 _Arran lift up a nearby log with the Force and sent it flying toward Zanka mid flight before Arran sidesteps to the right. Zanka's lightsaber makes contact with the log, and he lands where Arran once stood. Arran gave the jawa no time for a follow-up attack. He lunged forward, driving his lightsaber toward Zanka's face._

 _Zanka brought up his lightsaber, activating the second end to block Arran's own. Using the Force, he kicked up a fair bit of sand from the beach into Arran's face. The sand caked Arran's eyes and forced him to be blinded, but he didn't need his eyes to fight. As their sabers clashed, Arran put strength into the saber lock to force Zanka to relent._

 _Zanka pushed back, he wasn't going to relent. Not when he still had strength. Arran seemed pleased with this. He pushed off of Zanka and twirled his lightsaber in his hand, attacking in a diagonal in one fluid motion. If Zanka tried to block it, he would have had to do so overhead. He closed the gap between the two and dove, giving a swift leg sweep at Arran's right foot._

 _Arran's attack went unhit and due to the power he put behind it, his arms were thrown forward. Zanka's leg kicked up under Arran and sent the man on his back.]_

Arran: Good Nk'ik. You've brought me down to your level. Even here, your enemies will not be defenseless. Most will feel vulnerable on their backs and will find a way back to their feet. They will try to evade, trick you, or use the Force to push you away. Be mindful of this. _[Arran did none of the above, he attacked Zanka from the ground with his lightsaber and then sent the bottom of his boot to Zanka's head.]_

 _[Zanka jumped up just above Arran's boot and used the Force to come down hard on top of it. Arran swung his legs around and rolled backwards onto his feet. He stood as Zanka hit the ground. Arran pulled a holoprojector from his pocket and threw it in front of him. It took a moment to initialize, but a hologram appeared of a cloaked man. The hologram began to take the form of a real life person. Their cyan lightsaber ignited and their hood lowered. It was a training simulation taking on the form of Jaden Vallen. It was programmed to adopt his fighting style, and even had his blaster located in the holster on his hip. The hologram attacked Zanka in ataru form. Arran stood back and watched. This would be Zanka's true test._

 _The sight of Jaden Vallen brought forth several emotions from within Zanka. Jaden was the one who accepted Zanka as his padawan. He had him run laps around the Temple, write essays, and draw maps. His tendencies back then he been different, and he knew Jaden had been much more lax than any other Jedi would have been. He went off-planet often, coming back with salvage of questionable origins and drank to his fill. He had thought of Jaden as a friend. He hadn't given him the respect one would give a Jedi Master, but then again he never did that for anyone. Things changed when he met Arran. He had given him his first lightsaber and taught him things that he actually found useful. Over time he had spent more time with the ex-Sith Lord than his own Jedi Master. He had invited Arran to minister his wedding, he hadn't even invited Jaden, let alone told him that he was getting married. The last time he had even seen Jaden had been when the man had found out that Zanka had not invited him to his wedding. He had shed a single tear and told the jawa that he was sad at being left out of such a big event in his padawan's life. At first, Zanka had felt guilty—one of the few times he had ever felt such an emotion. Over time it had been replaced by anger. No, he hadn't invited Jaden. Why should he? They hadn't been as close, he didn't see the point in inviting him. That brought about the question that he had been wondering for some time now, how did he view Jaden? His thoughts were interrupted when the hologram spoke.]_

Jaden Hologram: Surrender, or face what's coming.

 _[Zanka had been tempted to retort but realized that this was a hologram. Any words would be wasted. The hologram of Jaden attacked Zanka with his lightsaber. As the jawa parried it away, Jaden sent a swift kick aimed at Zanka's head. He dodged it only for Jaden to leap forward with his lightsaber, intent on slicing the jawa in two. Zanka rolled backward, yet it leapt at him, still attacking. It did not matter if he dodged or blocked the strikes, there was no opening for an attack. It had him on the defensive. Zanka had difficulty thinking of fighting Jaden. They had a past together, and he was angry. His thoughts stopped there. He was angry at Jaden. He would—should have been using that. He was an idiot—he had been going back on old habits. He wasn't with the Jedi anymore, let alone Jaden. He hadn't been for a long time. It didn't matter if the hologram looked like Jaden. Even if it actually was him, it wouldn't matter. His own survival came first._

 _Zanka attempted to give the hologram a leg sweep. It didn't work as the hologram had already swung its lightsaber at him in a flurried manner. Zanka parried swing after swing with one of his own, each one from the hologram occurring faster than the last one. Zanka blocked the last of the hologram's swings only for it to take advantage of the opening and aim a kick at the jawa's head. Zanka used the Force to pull the hologram forward and swing his lightsaber at the extended leg only for the leg to suddenly firmly plant itself into the ground in a readied stance and the hologram's lightsaber coming up to block his own._

 _Zanka blocked Jaden's next strike before stabbing forward with his own at the hologram's leg. A scream erupted from its mouth. It sounded like Jaden. Zanka looked up at it. The expression of pain was just as his former friend would have had. He ignored it. The hologram made an attempt to stab at the jawa, stumbling slightly forward due to its leg injury. Zanka shot lightning at the hologram. He latched onto his anger at Jaden's actions, not relenting despite its screams. He poured more of his anger into the lightning. It collapsed onto the beach. Stopping the torrent of lightning, Zanka walked up-to the doppleganger of Jaden. Before even thinking about the action, he stabbed his lightsaber into the hologram's head. He stared down into the pseudo-Jaden's lifeless eyes before the hologram disappeared. This was different from killing Sith. He again felt powerful, but he had also essentially 'killed' his former friend. The hologram had it coming, he told himself. It was just how things were. He looked over at Arran.]_

Zanka: I did it.

Arran: You did. I'm impressed. I designed the hologram myself as a training regiment. I've studied Vallen's fighting over the years firsthand—I can't say all of our meetings have been peaceful.

Zanka: _[He nodded, remembering their talk on Dxun]_ What's next?

Arran: You killed Vallen out of cold blood. The Dark Side is powerful, but remember not to lose yourself in it. I've said it before and I'll say it again, too many Sith before us have lost themselves in the moment and died like idiots. If you kill someone, do it for yourself, not out of pure anger.

Zanka: _[He paused for a moment]_ So I should only kill when it gets me something in return?

Arran: No, you are not a petty criminal. You kill when it is right to kill. Liz betrayed me, I will have her head. I can no longer trust her and she will only continue to harm me. I have to end her. Giving into darkness is the easier and more foolish route of destroying her. Do it as yourself. Use the Dark Side, don't let it use you.

Zanka: So you're saying that I should control my emotions when I use the Dark Side.

Arran: No, you are not a Jedi. When you killed Jaden you were fueled by something powerful. You electrocuted a fallen opponent and had no remorse when you slew him. Why? You lost yourself. Zanka Nk'ik would have felt something if he were to kill his former master. Do not be afraid of your emotions. They are normal, even Jedi feel them. The Dark Side focuses on one or limited emotion. Don't lose yourself, fight with purpose, kill for reason.

Zanka: So it's alright to kill and feel something afterward, even regret.

Arran: When I was young Nk'ik, I was a Jedi student. During a mission I was separated from Drasli and my old Master. I felt that Drasli had betrayed me—I had anger towards my brother that I cannot explain in words. I used that anger to later kill several of his students, and even his wife. I did it purely out of anger. I had lost myself for nearly twenty or so years of my life. For what? Nothing. I would tell you to kill without regrets, but that is simply better said than done. I have regret for what I've done. But it's a part of my past. I've accepted it. Don't make the same foolish mistakes I have.

Zanka: _[He nods]_ I get it.

 _[Arran nodded and was about to say more when he heard the sounds of ships flying overhead. He turned, his lightsaber still in hand and ignited. Union assault fighters were heading towards them in a standard 'V' formation. Arran could sense their blaster cannons locking onto them.]_

Arran: Nk'ik! Go! Start up the ship!

 _[He gripped his lightsaber in his hand as they fired. Arran deflected the shots and called upon the Force as they flew overhead. He grabbed one out of the air and threw it into the ground.]_

Arran: _[mutters]_ Myles better be getting on the turret.

 _[Zanka ran across the beach, sand kicking up around him. Ships fired at them from above. He brought one hand up to his face as a ship crashed into the ground, exploding. As he neared the ship, he yelled to the nearby Azura to get into the ship and ran past Myles who was still at the base of the ramp with H8er. Making his way into the ship, he ran into the cockpit and began to start up the ship._

 _Myles dragged H8er inside of the ship and rushed to the turret, while Azura made her way into the cargo bay and sat herself down to meditate. Myles slipped inside of the turret control room and sat himself down on the targeting computer. He swivelled around in the seat and fired at the incoming ships. Several of his shots made contact, but the starfighter's shields kept damage to a minimum. The four remaining ships came around for another run before peppering the top of the 'Long Ago Junk' with laser cannon fire, disabling the turret._

Myles: That's not good. _[He ran back towards the cockpit and spoke to Zanka.]_ If you don't get the shields up soon we aren't going anywhere.

Zanka: _[muttering as he flicks on a switch]_ I'm doing it. Get to firing at the other ships.

Myles: Guns are down, why do you think I'm here telling you to turn on the shields? Now get this pile of rust off the ground.

Zanka: You're paying to fix it. _[He grabs the steering and the ship hovers above the ground, groaning slightly and shuddering. Zanka checked a display in front of him.]_ The loading ramp should be lowered. We'll do a sweeping run, Arran can jump up to us. Go make sure he gets in and no one else does.

 _[Arran had made a run for the ship after the second attack run. He had tried to distract the fighters from attacking the 'Long Ago Junk' but to no avail. As he turned to run a barrage of laser cannon fire decimated the landscape in front of him. The sheer force of the fire threw him backward. He grabbed at his head and got to his feet slowly. The starfighters turned for another attack run. Arran again ran for the ship, hearing it ready to takeoff in the distance._

 _Azura sat meditating in the cargo hold, focusing in on the Union pilot's minds. She searched for the weakest minded one and searched their mind for their greatest fears, deepest desires, and darkest secrets. She found her target, a Union pilot who suspected his wife of cheating. Azura grinned as she used the Force to plant thoughts of his wife cheating on another pilot in his squadron._

 _As Arran made his way to the 'Long Ago Junk' he hopped on board as he kicked up off the ground. He stood on the loading ramp and looked at the two starfighters coming towards them. One suddenly jerked to the side into the other one. Arran was surprised, but upon hearing the soft cackling of Azura from the cargo bay, he knew she was responsible.]_


	10. Chapter 10

—/ Chapter 10 /—

 _ **Long Ago Junk -**_ **Spira System**

 _[The ship took off leaving the fallen wreckage of the starfighters behind. As they broke through the atmosphere, there was a general sign of relief. It was only then that they noticed the Union Capital Ships that stretched throughout the ship's peripheral that they knew they were in trouble. Suddenly, the 'Long Ago Junk' began to move towards the nearest Union ship on its own accord despite Zanka's best attempts to wrest control. The ship shook violently as Zanka tried to fight against it, that was until Arran entered the cockpit and put his hand on the jawa's shoulder.]_

Arran: They've won Zanka. Let it go.

Zanka: _[He stared ahead at the approaching Union vessel before snapping out of his shock.]_ Using my first name now, huh?

Arran: _[He whapped the back of Zanka's head with a firm hand.]_ Call everyone to the lounge. We need to have a quick meeting before they board us.

Zanka: _[He pressed a button on the dashboard and his voice echoed throughout the entire ship.]_ Everyone get to the main hold. We need to plan for our imminent capture.

 _[Everyone met in the main hold of the 'Long Ago Junk', including the offline husk of H8er. Arran had his arms crossed, his mouth set into a scowl.]_

Arran: The Union has us in a tractor beam. They will capture this vessel, board the ship, and arrest us. We need to assess our options. This is no time for nonsense. _[One of his hands met his neck as he scratched at his beard.]_ Myles, you may know more of recent Union activity than I. Is fighting them even an option?

Myles: It would all depend on if they have some way to fight you, Zanka, and Azura. That would have been my job, but since the Shadow left with you I'm not sure who that job would fall to.

Azura: I fear their numbers would be too great for a direct approach, we need to go about this in a different way, fortunately for us they don't know how many of us are on board.

Myles: Agreed, if they don't board with lethal intent I would suggest not giving them a reason to. 

Arran: I don't know what has changed since I led the Union, but I suspect a lot of my tactics are still in place. Fighting them on their terms would be foolish.

Zanka: Is there a way I can pose as a hostage? If I only speak jawa Trade, they might not lock me up.

Arran: Maybe...How'd they find us in the first place? _[He scanned the room at the group huddled around a small table, gazing at their pensive faces.]_

Zanka: I'm not sure. We're in the Core, but I can't think of any reason they'd know where to find us. I took us down nice and quiet.

Myles: Only way they could find us like this would be to have a tracker on the ship.

Zanka: Who would put a tracker on this ship in the first place? 

Arran: _[He let out a groan just as the ship shook and locked into their captives hangar.]_ There's only one logical place—Coruscant.

Zanka: _[He mutters more-so to himself in thought]_ I only spoke Jawa Trade to the officer.

Azura: _[She smiled.]_ You boys went through a lot of trouble just to find me.

Myles: _[He snapped at the Twi'lek.]_ This isn't the time for jokes. We need a plan _now._

Arran: _[He leaned over the small table and turned to Myles again, the man he knew he could depend on in tight situations like this.]_ If you activate Shadow protocol, will you be picked up on their sensors?

Myles: _[He inwardly grimaced but his face did not betray his apprehension.]_ Let's hope not.

Arran: Gear up Myles. Stay with the ship for eight hours at least, then try to make contact with one of us and plot our escape. We don't know what we're up against.

Myles: _[He nodded at Arran.]_ See you then. _[He leaves the room to get his equipment, calmly slipping into his small quarters.]_

Arran: We need a Plan B if this fails.

Azura: I could try to make them...cooperate.

Arran: _[He grimaced at the idea and shook his head.]_ What's keeping you from leaving us all behind?

Azura: _[She gave a mock gasp of surprise.]_ Why _Arran_ , how can you say such things about me?

Zanka: I need to handle something in the cockpit. Be right back. _[He leaves the main hold in an instant, not waiting for a response from anybody.]_

Arran: _[He scoffs and sighs, not paying attention to the jawa's exit.]_ Don't play the victim, wench. Forgive me for having trust issues with someone who's had "loose" intentions.

Azura: So touchy today. _[She gave a false pout.]_

Arran: _[His head perks up as he senses soldiers starting to crack open the ship and board.]_ We're out of time. Nk'ik, get out here!

 _[Zanka exits the cockpit and stands in the main hold with them.]_

Arran: Myles is our best shot, but if he fails—

 _[Arran was cut short as the blast door opened. He clenched his fist. No Plan B. Arran kept his eyes on the door as it was forced open. No armed troops seemed to enter, but a young woman dressed in an officer's uniform entered with her hands clasped behind her back. She stopped short of the group and gave a smile from under the veil that was draped over the top of her face.]_

Officer: We have been searching for you for some time Zarkaine. You would be wise to surrender.

Arran: You should have brought more troops Captain. _[He sensed the woman was strong in the Force, stronger than just a typical Miraluka.]_

Officer: Do you believe I would be so foolish to enter here on my own?

 _[Figures suddenly appear around them, their blasters raised at Arran. Arran was surprised to see the troops. He had not sensed them, nor had he heard them.]_

Officer: Secure the other one. _[She gestures towards the door leading to the cargo hold, two of the soldiers break away from the group and leave the room.]_

Arran: Clever, but they are nothing compared to the Shadow.

Officer: Yes, your Shadow Initiative was quite impressive Zarkaine. You found a way to mask their presence in the Force and hunt down Jedi. Meet the Phantom Initiative, its technology is similar to your Shadow but improved. These men have been trained to fight any Force User, even you.

Arran: _[A wide grin appears on his face.]_ We'll see about that.

 _[A loud bang is heard from elsewhere in the ship. A few moments later, Myles is led into the room at gunpoint, arms raised up.]_

Officer: Well Zarkaine, looks like we did in fact, "see". A pity Taylov wasted his talents with the likes of you. He would have done well had he stayed with the Union—It would have saved us time from having to rediscover the technology you had created for the Shadows. It all worked out in the end. You have surrendered to us, and thus your reign of terror ends. You will die a traitor's death.

Zanka: _[Speaking jawa Trade language.]_ Finally free jawa? Taken hostage by evil human.

Officer: So quick to turn on your master, Mr. Nk'ik? _[She grinned predatorily at him, her hands resting on her back.]_ There is someone here who wishes to see you.

 _[Meeka walks slowly up the loading ramp. When she reaches the top, she salutes the Officer and walks over to Zanka, slapping him hard across the face.]_

Zanka: _[He chokes out the words.]_ Meeka? Why?

Meeka: _[She glares at him but when she speaks, her voice is a mixture of rage and anguish.] Why? WHY?_ I got back into headquarters for two seconds and did a search on 'Mr. Zarkaani' that that suicidal droid uploaded into my datapad. There exists no such Ithorian, let alone anyone with that name! Did you not even notice that I never sent you credits? What is _more_ , is that you _lied_ to me Zanka. Time and time again! _I_ put the tracker on your ship and _I_ put a microphone on you. _I_ heard it _all_. You're one of those—those— _disgusting_ people who use—that—that—

Azura: Force? _[She grins cheekily.]_

Meeka: _[She gave the Twi'lek a withering look before turning back to Zanka and continued her tirade]_ THAT horrible thing. _Electrician indeed._ You never told me! You are not the jawa I married. _[Her tone changed to more pleading.]_ I let the Union know the location of Zarkaine. You can still walk away from this. Give up this way of life. _You_ can be happy. _We_ can be happy.

Officer: Our real qualm is only with Zarkaine and Taylov. The rest of you will be tried before the judiciary for your actions and involvement in the traitorous activities of that man _[She points to Arran.]_ You will have a chance of being found not guilty, assuming you tell us what we wish to know and cooperate.

Zanka: _[Had been glaring at Meeka as the officer talked.]_ Your government is as fake as my wife's love for me.

 _[Meeka slaps Zanka across the face again.]_

Arran: I forged an alliance between the Republic and my militia to form the Union—I will always be its rightful ruler. If you think your "Phantoms" are going to stop me, you have another thing coming. When I escape, you'll be seeing my blade across your throat.

Officer: _[She smiles, baring her white teeth.]_ Charming as ever Zarkaine. You've always had a way with words, sadly for you they've fallen on deaf ears. _[She gestures towards Zanka, Azura, and Myles.]_ Take those three to the prepared cells on the detention level. Zarkaine comes with me; special arrangements have been made for him.

 _[The Phantom take hold of the prisoners and escort them out of the 'Long Ago Junk' and into the massive hangar bay of the Union Capital ship. Troops stand in lines watching the passing captives. Several spit on Arran as he passes. He sneers at them but ultimately remains calm. Two Phantom troopers are appointed to guard Arran as the officer leads them down a different hallway than Zanka and the others. Meeka follows the group with Zanka and the others. Two Union soldiers stand guard at the loading ramp, while the others go back to their positions.]_

Arran: _[Staring at the back of the officer's head.]_ There's something off about you...you are influenced by the Dark Side. It seems my Union is full of insurgents wishing to kill me.

Officer: _[She chuckles mockingly with a sharp sway in her hips.]_ Tell me, did you really think that The Republic would just go along with having an army of Sith join their ranks? It didn't seem strange how smoothly everything went within the Senate? You walked in just after the Chancellor was murdered and claimed dominion over the Galaxy and not a single person argued against it. Not to mention the one who killed the Chancellor was the same one that attacked you and took your wife. Were you really that blinded by your ego that you failed to notice all of that?

Arran: _[He feels anger boiling inside of him as the officer speaks. He always felt that he had accomplished those things on his own, because of his own doing. As much as he hated to admit it, the Officer made sense. He wanted to throttle the woman's neck.]_ I'm going to kill you.

Officer: You can try if you must, but my master might have something to say about it.

Arran: _[He spoke softly as he was pushed forward when he slowed his pace.]_ The Cerean I saw in my vision.

Officer: A vision?

Arran: _[He scoffs and shrugs off the Phantom's hand resting on his shoulder.]_ I'm not telling you anything. I saw your Master, he's a Cerean from the old Sith militia I was trained into.

Officer: _[She shrugs, her pace stagnant in speed and movement.]_ You told me what I wanted to know anyway.

Arran: _[There is anger in his voice.]_ Who is your Master!?

Officer: You already know, the Cerean from your vision.

Arran: _[He growls, arching himself forward toward the woman. He was immediately stopped as more Phantom hands reached around his chest.]_ What is his name, you twisted bitch.

Officer: _[She laughs as Arran is pushed into his cell and locked in a containment field.]_ Name calling Zarkaine? Oh how far you have fallen.

Arran: _[He guffaws as he quickly inspects his cell for any torturing devices.]_ When I get out of here I'm going to kill you slowly.

Officer: So never then.

 _[As the door shuts Arran's screams of rage can be heard. The officer takes out a small holoprojector and activates it, an image of a hooded cerean appearing flickers on from an illuminating glow.]_

Officer: Lord Verraden, Zarkaine is in custody. He was with the Jedi Nk'ik as well as Myles Taylov and Azura Vahn. What would you have done with them?

Verraden: Bring them to me.

Officer: I thought you only wanted Zarkaine?

Verraden: The plans have changed. Bring them to me...unaltered.

 _[Meanwhile In the 'Long Ago Junk', lights shine and a whirring sound is heard in H8er's hull. After several moments, H8er scans the area and rolls around in the main hold. He scans the room again, this time more intensively, and finds nobody. H8er rolled himself to the start of the ramp and noticed the two guards keeping watch. If he could, he would have let out a screech or a small scream, but with his vocabulator out, he couldn't. It took the droid only a few seconds to realize his companions have been captured and it was up to him to do something about it, or in the very least find them to torture them during their final moments alive... The droid rolled himself to the cockpit and watched the loading ramp as he hacked into the Junk's computer and forced it to play the first song on the jawa's playlist over the speakers. When the music started to blare, the droid quickly rolled behind stacked durasteel crates. The guards came up to investigate, their blasters raised. When they reached the cockpit and started to bang on the computer to shut it off, H8er rolled down the ramp and casually rolled down an adjacent hallway. If he could, he'd play a small victory song for himself. In the meantime, he'd search for a droid maintenance room to fix himself up.]_


End file.
